His Guiding Star
by Lady Artimes Blaine
Summary: For every star, there is an avatar and Killian Jones wanted a star that shined only for him. What he got was a sassy ginger named Artz and a major headache. She was completely mad, insanely clever, devastatingly gorgeous, and had the self esteem the size of a peanut. Saving the world can wait. He needs to make love to a goddess first.
1. Chapter 1: Descent Into Darkness

Chapter 1: Descent into Darkness

Killian Jones...a man betrayed by his king, his brother slain by his own faith, he relinquished all ties to the Royal Navy, he renamed his brother's ship and he became a pirate and seeker of fortune. He was known as The Terror of the Deep and the only rules he followed were his own...though he was not without a code of honor, slightly skewed as it were by his broken faith and the loss of his kin.

His life was a whirlwind of adventures, of the finest vintages, of glorious bloodshed and his rather active libido..so many women charmed into his bed or captured during his travels, becoming his lovers either willingly or by force.

He had a particularly bad habit of stealing wives away from their husbands, making them crave his touch and quite commonly murdering their husbands, using the women before either selling them or killing them. There were times when he was particularly cruel and sadistic, oftentimes making the women choose, him or their husband.

If they chose their husband, they were granted a swift death as a sign of rather warped respect, but should they choose him, he simply tossed them to the crew and never touched them again, their husbands forced to watch their traitorous wives be raped over and over again before both are ultimately killed.

Honestly...people were so damn predictable. It was annoying and nauseating. Time and again he went to the tavern to drown himself in booze, a vain attempt to block out the past and alleviate the constant boredom of life itself. His life held very little in the way of meaning, drifting through time without a purpose or a reason for existing.

He had let himself fall into the darkness, so much so that he often felt like he was two different people trying to exist at the same time yet not, both yet neither. Even though there was a constant struggle within him, the darkness could never fully claim him.

Try as it might...the darkness was always dispelled by the moon's light, a reflection of the sun, and the numerous dots of light called stars, hinting at the mystery of life beyond this realm. As a child, he had been captivated by the seemingly endless sea of stars. Then as a sailor, he used those very same stars to guide him, to keep his course true and steady.

During his youth, he had been told that every celestial body had an avatar, a human like form. This fanciful tale ignited his obsession in exploring, sailing his beloved sea in search of these celestial avatars. He yearned to find a star, but not just any star. He wanted to find his own personal star, one that shined only for him.

So many years and he never found the avatars, but he found a woman whose soul shined like a star or so he thought. The woman's name was Milah, wife of Rumplestiltskin and mother of Baelfire. He didn't understand why he had been so attached to her...he wasn't even sure if he had loved her, but he must have since he reacted so harshly to her death.

The problem was there was nothing truly spectacular about this woman; average height, average looks, below average breasts and hips, her hair was always oily or unkempt, and her eyes...ugh, they were so bland, dull, ordinary. There was no depth, no layers, no intrigue...nothing but a shallow, naive country girl.

In fact, he shouldn't have loved her at all. Appearances not withstanding, she had a son, Baelfire, a young boy no older than six maybe seven, and she left him. She abandoned her son, begging him to take her away. He should have slapped the woman. He knew what it was like to be abandoned by a parent and she abandoned her son without hesitation, without a shred of guilt or remorse...she was nothing like his mother.

His mother died when he was young, but she loved him and his brother, Liam. Her love for them gave her the strength to fight the disease plaguing her body for years. She tried so hard to stay for them, to stay as long as she could and Killian loved her for that. He loved her so much that should he ever have a daughter, he would name her after his mother..._Alice_.

His father, however, was an entirely different story. He hated his sons, was drunk all the time, commonly smacking them around and blaming them for the death of his wife. He despised them so much that he sold him and his brother off like cattle, forcing them to use extreme measures in order to be free..._a contract_.

His brother had taught him to live each day to the fullest, to cherish every moment, and asked only one thing of him...to find his guiding star. His brother wanted him to be happy, to be loved, to find that which could never be defined...true love. Liam was always a bit of a romantic which was why he encouraged his brother's search for the celestial avatars.

He was too kind, too optimistic and compassionate...too much hope for a better tomorrow and a faith that was far too pure. His older brother had been his light in the darkness, his hope in the midst of despair. So many times Killian wanted to let go, just let everything fade away, but he had promised Liam that he would find his true love.

This woman...she wasn't his true love nor was she a star. She should have repulsed him, disgusted him...enraged him yet none of that occurred and for the life of him, he didn't understand why. People would say that they were in love and you can't help who you fall for, but his entire relationship with the vapid girl did not make any bloody sense.

Thinking back to those early days of their so called _romance_...it just didn't fit. To this day, he still wondered why they had been together at all because there was nothing that truly bound them together. His feelings were strong yet it felt so wrong to be with Milah. Which begged the question of why he reacted so harshly to her death when at the time, he had actually felt such a powerful surge of relief…like he was finally free?

All these years of wasted effort...trying to slay the bloody crocodile, to avenge a woman he honestly believed that he should have never cared for...and for what? To become the little bitch of a heartless witch, to be tugged about in her endless game of chess with her daughter, The Evil Queen?

Honestly...he wanted to just disappear but his blasted hatred for the Dark One kept him bound in invisible chains. He became one of the most notorious pirates to ever sail the ocean...The Scourge of the Sea...the infamous captain of the Jolly Roger...James Hook, so named for the hook that acted as his left hand, a constant reminder of his wayward foe.

The Dark Captain was a creature of darkness known throughout countless realms. No man has ever been able to stand against him. No woman has been able to resist his charm. Even the God of Neverland had a rather difficult campaign against him and yet never won.

He was the tyrant of the waves, the lord of the ocean, a man that the sea claimed as its own whose spirit was fiercer than any storm and as free as the wind...yet...there was something he still yearned for...even now when so deep in the darkness, his search continued on as his brother wished for.

_To find that which was his...the star that shined only for him...the light that guides him through his endless night...and the story of Starsea will begin again._


	2. Chapter 2: The Crimson Savior

Chapter 2: The Crimson Savior

Hook, the man that bowed to no king, was currently the errand boy of the Queen of Hearts, Kora...and he hated it. Here he was in this rundown excuse of an encampment, playing the part of a cowardly blacksmith … why because Kora demanded that he play spy, to learn as much as he could...his heart yearned to be free, to sail the sea that he loved so much once more. The ocean was calling to him...as if pleading for him to return home.

Then something unexpected happened… serendipity, a happy accident...a prince walked into camp carrying a crimson haired woman and he immediately felt drawn to her. He hadn't been able to get a proper look at her before she had been whisked away into one of the tents, having apparently been injured whilst saving said Prince.

The gossip mill was buzzing mightily. Two women, a short dark haired one and a long haired blonde, were being held prisoner because of their supposed involvement in the red heads injuries, but the most surprising rumor was that the ginger haired woman was actually a savior, a wielder of light magic.

Instead of being apprehensive about a possible threat to his so called revenge...he was worried...for her. She had been bleeding from her forehead a fair bit and he had seen some bruising on her lower back...he found himself wondering if she was okay. Why did he even care? He didn't know the wench, had never met her or seen her before...yet he cared...why did he care?

The constant gravity of the red head kept pulling at him. It was like she was a siren, a mythical creature that lured many a sailor to their deaths and yet for him, it was the opposite...like she was trying to give him life….or perhaps to make him yearn for life.

He had been rather annoyed when the two women responsible for the ginger's injuries had been released and his blood boiled at how they spoke about her. They said that she shouldn't be trusted, that she wasn't the savior...why would the blonde one be the Savior anyway? What made her so much better than the ginger?

She was clearly an orphan with a rather deep lack of love in her life. She most definitely had trust issues and she didn't exhibit any magic whatsoever. Everyone knew that a true savior wields light magic, that they protect others with an often times reckless abandon...thus the reason why saviors were rather short lived and this gangly blonde idiot looked like she was about to have a hissy fit.

She did not like the fact that the red head was stealing her role as The Savior and that they needed to be extra careful now that they knew she had magic. It took every ounce of his strength to keep the darkness from overtaking him, his bloodlust as Hook surging in response to his rage.

Killian had never been so grateful in his life when they finally left; taking the prince, princess, and Asian warrior woman with them but leaving the ginger haired savior with complete strangers. With their departure, his mental state calmed down significantly but he still felt his lingering bloodlust.

It had been a while since he had gotten that riled up...he wondered why he reacted so harshly. As Hook, he had taken and broken many red heads...as well as all other hair colors...but he seemed to take a great deal more pleasure from making the gingers scream in pain and ecstasy...yet his first love had murky brown hair.

He wrangled with his thoughts as he waited almost an hour before the mysterious woman finally exited the tent, looking far healthier than before, her injuries were gone completely, her magic more than likely being the reason for her expedited recovery, but quite frankly, he could only stare...blindsided by the sudden urge to bed the woman.

The crimson haired savior was utterly gorgeous; she had the perfect figure he wanted in a woman, glorious hips and her breasts appeared to be the perfect size...going by the small amount of cleavage peeking out of her top. His darker urges had him spinning out countless scenarios involving that fantastic figure.

He then became enraptured by those amazing crimson locks. Her hair shined like fire in the sun's light yet whilst in the shade, it shimmered like spilt blood on a full moon night. Her face was soft, fair even, but possessed just enough sharpness to augment her looks and appear as an adult rather than all baby faced. Something he definitely appreciated because child like women were a complete turn off for him.

Her eyes were the next thing he noticed...the bluest blue he had ever seen. It was deeper than sapphire yet lighter than the ocean. They were so vibrant and pure, warm and welcoming. They definitely matched well with her hair and he could see the incredible depth in them, so many layers, so intricate and defined, yet puzzling, enigmatic, open yet complicated.

Moreover, her eyes showed every emotion she felt, every shift in mood, but also intelligence, imagination, and a rather intense curiosity. He loved watching her eyes light up when something caught her attention...her sapphire orbs positively sparkling. He nearly face palmed when his own imagination went berserk, casting the woman's eyes into more erotic variations.

He followed at a distance, observing her every action and reaction. She was kind...yes, so very kind. She didn't hesitate when a woman dropped several items and she immediately scooped them up, insisting that she help carry them to their destination. When one of the injured had difficulty moving about, she would run off and fetch things for them like food, water, and blankets.

He was particularly entranced with the way she interacted with the children. The little tykes were running all around the encampment but as soon as the ginger clapped her hands in an odd rhythm, the children immediately turned to look at her.

She nodded her head for them to follow her and astonishingly, they lined up in a row behind her, giggling away as the red head danced away...the children mimicking her movements. He almost laughed at how silly they looked.

A few moments later, he heard singing. He was too far away to recognize the voice though his gut told him that it was the mysterious and gorgeous savior. He listened to the words and smiled when he heard the children chime in.

Ginger - Earth, Sky, Day, Night

Sound and silence, Dark and light

One alone is not enough, You need both together..

Winter, Summer, Moon and Sun..

Lesson Number one!

The kids were definitely wow'ed because so was he. He could barely hear her but what little he did was amazing.

Ginger - Like a rock, huh-huh.

You must be hard, huh-huh.

Like an oak, mmmuh.

You must stand firm, huh-huh.

Cut quick like my blade.

Think fast, huh-huh

Unafraid.

Kids -Like a rock, huh-huh.

I must be hard, huh-huh.

Like an oak, mmmuh.

I must stand firm, huh-huh.

Cut quick like my blade.

Think fast, huh-huh

Unafraid.

Little girl - Okay I'm ready!

Ginger - Uh-huh. But you're still out of balance. You're only halfway there.

Ginger - Like a cloud.

You are soft.

Like bamboo.

You bend in the wind.

Creeping slow.

You're at peace because you know.

It's okay to be afraid.

Kids - Like a cloud.

I am soft.

Like bamboo.

I bend in the wind.

Creeping slow.

I'm at peace because I know.

It's okay to be afraid.

He was surprised when the kids started up almost immediately after the red head but then understood why. She was quite the little conductress...wrangling a bunch of brats into singing a song rather than wreaking havoc...remarkable.

Ginger - One alone is not enough.

Kids - One alone is not enough.

Ginger - You need both together.

Kids - You need both together.

Ginger - Winter,summer. Moon and sun.

Kids - Winter,summer. Moon and sun.

Ginger - Lesson # 1!

The children's voices separated into two groups, singing different words of the same song. Whoa...how in the world had she managed that?! Forget savior...she was a goddess of miracles.

Group 1-Like a cloud.

Group 2-Like a rock, huh-huh.

Group 1 - I am soft.

Group 2 - I must be hard, huh-huh.

Group 1 - Like bamboo.

Group 2 - Like an oak, mmmuh.

Group 1 -I bend in the wind.

Ginger - You can fly!

Group 2 - I must stand firm, huh-huh.

Group 1 - Creeping slow. I'm at peace because I know.

Group 2 - Cut quick like my blade.Think fast, huh-huh

Group 1 - It's okay to be afraid.

Group 2 - Unafraid.

Ginger -You have begun!

All the kids - Lesson # one, Lesson # one,

Lesson # one, Lesson # one, Lesson # one

Lesson # 1!!

The children all started giggling, chattering away excitedly. There was no getting rid of her now...she had won over the children and as he glanced around...he almost laughed. Most of the adults had similar expressions of relief on their faces and some were looking skyward as if thanking God for the miracle working ginger.

He pulled his attention back over to the kids when they suddenly quieted down. His gaze flickered in their direction to see them sitting around the crimson haired woman, their eyes wide with wonder. Come to find out later, she had started telling them stories about a wanderer, a man unlike any other, about his bigger on the inside blue box of wonders, and his many adventures through time and other realms.

He had heard a few snippets and the rest from some of the adults that had been listening in. He was rather confused...her story...he had heard it before or at least something similar to it because he knew what a Dalek was, the metal men known as Cybermen, the tree people of Cheem, and he vaguely recalled something about a metal dog and a whole lot of running.

Killian couldn't seem to remember where or when he had heard this story. He didn't remember who had told him either. He didn't remember reading it anywhere and it wasn't a play or some other kind of performance.

When one of the adults asked Doctor, Doctor Who? He automatically answered… Dangerous question. Admittedly they looked at him like he had lost his marbles. He wasn't even sure why he said it in the first place but it just felt like the correct response.

It was just one of the many questions that was circulating his mind. The more he observed her, the more confused and confounded he became. So intricate a puzzle in so pleasing a shape, but to solve her, he would need time and information...both were in rather short supply.

_The Queen of Hearts was lurking nearby and he needed to tread carefully. He could not risk the witch discovering the crimson haired goddess nor could he risk her learning of his sudden interest in said goddess. Her heart was at stake but who would claim it; The Queen of Hearts or The Scourge of the Sea?_


	3. Chapter 3: Simple Complexity

**Chapter 3: Simple Complexity**

Later in the day...after the little hellions had been called away for an early lunch...more like a late breakfast, some of the people approached the crimson haired goddess, asking for her help. He was rather fascinated with how her mind worked because some of the things she had helped with were mind boggling yet seemed so simple to her.

Yet when trying to do something simple...something that was normally done or commonplace, she got incredibly confused...frustrated even. He watched her face scrunch up, her eyes looking so totally lost. She just stared at her supposedly simple project like she was trying to build an entire city out of twigs. He actually thought that the city building idea would actually be easier for her.

Killian would have laughed at the sight and the silliness of the idea, but it was the look in her eyes that had stopped him. She was upset...no, she was angry, angry with herself...but why? Could she really not do something so simplistic that a child could do it?

He felt a brief flicker of irritation, mainly due to some of older teenage boys gawking at her. He was pretty certain that they were undressing her in their minds… one of the many reasons why he wanted a daughter and not a son. He'd rather kill off potential suitors instead of contending with the headache of a boy's overactive libido and his complete lack of restraint...the irony was not lost on him.

One of the women eventually noticed the ginger's shift in emotion and immediately called to her, asking her for some help with untangling all the leftover twine, rope, and threads they had used to pack with. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped slightly as the ginger expertly and swiftly unknotted and wound up each one, her eyes flickering quickly from one to another.

Within minutes, she had successfully untangled everything, wound them up, and placed them neatly in a basket. Sweet lord...how did...she can do that but _not_ something simple? He took a moment to analyze her movements as people asked her to do more complicated tasks. Methodical, yes, logical even...but she wasn't trying to force a solution which often times resulted in some rather nasty consequences...like his missing hand.

It was more like a process of elimination, following a specific path until she could go no further. Then she backtracked to where it deviated and continued down another course until it deviated as well. _Oh_...he had heard of this, this particular talent anyways. People would often confuse it with precognition, the ability to see the future, but was in fact..._mapping_.

This remarkable woman possessed a rather rare and valuable talent, a highly sought after one at that. She was a probability mapper, someone that could map out the infinite paths of life. Don't give this woman time to think or she'll have a few dozen ways of out smarting you, out witting you, or just making you look like a complete and utter fool.

He had encountered others with this kind of talent...ironically, his first mate, William Smee, also possessed a talent similar to hers...just one of the many reasons why he kept his first mate content. It only took Mr. Smee three minutes to make him regret a single poor decision and it took months for both him and his ship to recover.

Mr. Smee's talent notwithstanding...the ginger's talent was taken to an extremely high level...so high, in fact, that normal, every day tasks that anyone could do confused the living daylights out of her. He has actually stumbled across someone that could literally out think her every opponent like it was child's play and yet give her a simple task and her brain implodes _because_ it was _too simple_.

He wasnt entirely sure how to feel about that...mainly because that particular talent of hers made her extremely dangerous but also a prime target for the more _specialized_ slavers. They would have a hell of a time catching her _but_ she had one blaringly loud and insanely obvious weakness..._she was kind_, impossibly so.

As the day went on, he learned more about her. The reason why her kindness had not put her in an early grave was due to an eerily accurate perception. She referred to it as her instincts or the initial reaction of meeting someone for the first time and according to one of the scouters, she called it the four F's. He only knew of two, Fight or Flight, but she had a third and fourth… Follow and Fix.

Interesting concept...which apparently helped the scouters because they successfully avoided all the ogres _and_ brought back a few deer, a rare find given their rather unruly neighbors...along with several apples, some grapefruit, and an assortment of edible berries and nuts.

Where did she learn how to track? To forage and not get poisoned by picking the wrong berries? She didn't seem like a huntsman...though he was privy to some of the warriors trying to show her how to use their weapons...only to be bested by her and for heaven's sake! Do Not put a bow in this woman's hands!

It was not because she couldn't handle it...it was because she could..._and she was good...very, very good_. It didn't matter if the targets were stationary or moving, short, mid, or long range...or even in the weirdest spots or at supposedly impossible angles..._she hit every single one...twice...in a row...repeatedly_...usually splitting the first into two pieces or making it splinter apart completely.

He will never forget the looks on their faces; skin like white ash, eyes wide in shock and petrification, and a fair bit of nervous sweating. He would admit to being impressed by her skill, but there was something in the way she moved that made him question why she was so good.

The reasoning behind this question was the fact that she was from another land, specifically one without the more unusual and mystical creatures...ogres for example. There was no need for her to train like she was fighting a never ending war and yet she possessed the knowledge, skills, and training of someone from this land...and that was putting it mildly.

He watched her move on to the scouters, suggesting a possible deterrent for the ogres and requested certain herbs and spices so that she could make it. They had been hesitant at first, but she looked at them with such sincerity and kindness that they relented and gathered the requested items. He would have said they were pushovers but that woman was completely genuine in her desire to help...she was just genuine period.

Within minutes, her concoction was complete...a rather sweet aroma that suddenly made his head spin and he damn near fell over. Fortunately the red head bagged her strange powder and gave each scouter two bags a piece to spread around the perimeter. Then they left the encampment and the Crimson Savior wandered off, looking for something to do.

_The Dark Captain observed her yet as each new thread unraveled, the more layered and intricate she became. How could learning more about her make her that much more complex? A puzzle that became more difficult to solve with each passing moment and his time was running out._


	4. Chapter 4: The Kindness of Strangers

**Chapter 4: The Kindness of Strangers**

The sun had just inched past noon when he noticed a rather odd pattern in her behavior. When someone gave her a compliment or praised her work...she was shocked, without fail. Every single time someone acknowledged her presence, complimented her work, smiled or waved at her...she looked like she wanted to cry.

Every time she fumbled about or messed up on something...usually the simpler tasks...she would start apologizing profusely like they were going to yell at her for making a mistake. Everyone made mistakes but this reaction...it was a preconditioned response. When they told her it was fine, she insisted on fixing the mistake or doing something to make up for it.

Some of the other villagers had noticed what he had and they started to encourage her, offering to help her, to teach her, to add to her already long list of skills and abilities. The look on her face...it actually hurt to look at her. She honestly couldn't believe how they were treating her. It made her quite skittish and nervous too.

Watching his beautiful and talented goddess act so timidly, so unsure of her actions, not knowing how to respond to their kindness...it made him wonder. He had heard how those two women had spoken about her...surely they would not do so right in front of her? What of her land, was anyone kind to her or...Killian almost believed that the Crimson Savior was actually a slave back in her land.

He had seen many things in his travels and studied a great deal about the human condition through observation and the conclusions drawn from those observations. The way the ginger reacted to positivity, it was very similar to the way slaves and prisoners would react after being confined for so long. He could scarcely believe that someone so beautiful and kind would be treated so harshly.

Why?

Why was she this way? Who hurt her so deeply and so much that when the slightest bit of attention was directed towards her, she would freeze in shock? Why did she act like she was invisible, that she wasn't meant to exist? His need for vengeance rose up along with the darkness of his heart...he needed to know why, so he started asking about her, using the gossip biddies to find the answer and find it he did.

Back in her land, she was barely acknowledged and most commonly ignored by most of the denizens of the town she lived in..._Storybrooke_. It was the place that Kora wanted to journey to and where the Crocodile awaited. Everything he was hearing about her life there either broke his heart or left his head in chaos.

The red headed savior spoke highly of a man called Mr. Gold...he knew him as Rumplestiltskin, the Crocodile, the very man he wanted to kill which was why he was so confused. The way she spoke of him...he was kind. The Dark One had been kind to her, looked after her, always acknowledging her existence, deliberately seeking her out just to check on her wellbeing, spending time with her and conversing with her when no one else would.

She spoke at length about the Crocodile, never mentioning his true name or his more color moniker, _the Dark One_. She spoke of them walking by the sea, talking for hours, teaching her about this world, preparing for any eventuality...he did everything within his power to make her feel at home, that there was at least one person that genuinely cared for her and had even stated directly to her that his life would never be the same without her.

That sounded nothing like the man that had cut off his hand and crushed Milah's heart. So different...almost like they were completely different people altogether. He sounded nothing like the bastard that manipulated the Evil Queen into casting the Dark Curse...and it only got weirder from there.

She apparently _lived_ with the Evil Queen and that said Queen hated her yet nearly crucified someone for suggesting that she move to a new abode and away from the Evil Queen. From the way the red head talked about her...well he was conflicted.

He had personally met the queen of the Enchanted Forest...a bit sleazy for his taste and completely bonkers...but she did not strike him as the type of person that would allow someone she despised to live under her roof, to break bread with, or associate with them at all...but she did _and_ was enraged at the mere _thought_ of someone taking her away from her.

That was two very different reactions and on opposite sides of the emotional spectrum; hate and love to be exact. The ginger nearly lost her temper when someone figured out she had been talking about the Queen of the Enchanted Forest, her magic sizzling and crackling around her in warning...a warning that said individual heeded and promptly ran away.

Then later on she spoke of a man called Graham, the Huntsman if memory served him correctly. She had saved his life, restored his heart, and he attempted to look after her but could barely stand to be around her. Again very radical behavior… especially since he owed her a life debt!

This woman had gone above and beyond to protect this man and he treated her like she was some sort of repulsive creature that constantly repeled him away from her, doing anything and everything to get away from her presence. It was his reaction that made her think that something was wrong with her, that maybe she wasn't supposed to exist in that land, and for that reason, she jumped into a portal in the hopes that she could have a fresh start.

He could understand why...after being treated like an undesirable or just flat out ignored...hell he would have jumped into that portal. What the hell was wrong with those people?! How could they do such terrible things to someone so genuine and warm, someone that cared so deeply and so much that she was walking up to every single person in the encampment just to talk with them? She wanted to know their names, their stories..._too kind_...just like Liam.

_The Crimson Savior held so much hope and love within her heart, even for those that hated her and mistreated her. She chose to care and so few cared for her in return. What will he choose; revenge for the past or a future by her side?_


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Passion

**Chapter 5: Dark Passion**

The rumor mill had given him quite a bit of information. The glorious ginger goddess held strong ties with _The Crocodile, The Huntsman, _and _The Evil Queen_ yet it still continued to buzz most mightily. His goddess was quite the social butterfly.

More information popped up about a fourth individual in Storybrooke that she associated with, a woman named Ingrid...that name sounded familiar to him. Where had he heard that name? Didn't Erandel have a princess with that name? No...it was just the one princess despite the fact that he was pretty sure there had been three at one point.

He continued to listen as the ginger told others about the mysterious Ingrid. She was some sort of shop keeper that sold sweet snow...he was admittedly curious. This woman, like the Crocodile before her, was exceptionally kind to the ginger haired goddess.

The crimson savior spent a great deal of time with this woman and stated quite firmly that she loved Ingrid, oftentimes calling her mum by accident. To which the mysterious Ingrid responded, saying that she viewed the red head like she was her own daughter...a comment that apparently made the ginger cry, especially when the woman deliberately introduced her as her daughter without pause or hesitation.

What a picture that made...Ingrid as the mother figure, the Crocodile as a father figure, the Hunstman falling into the brother category...the Evil Queen...Killian smirked. There was no way that she was a sisterly figure...oh no.

Judging from the way the ginger had described their relationship and interactions...he was pretty damn certain that the Evil Queen had actually fallen for the red head. There was no other way to explain her reaction to the mere thought of losing her. That was going to be interesting...but it didn't really bother him either.

Mainly due to the fact that the Crimson Savior was even more desperate than the blonde in the love department. She needed as much attention, encouragement, and positivity as possible and even then, it was still going to take time and a great deal of patience to undo even a fraction of the damage already done to both her mental and emotional states.

Now the Captain of the Jolly Roger was a fairly open minded individual, commonly observing before forming a solid opinion, but he was utterly shocked when his crimson goddess began gushing about her time with Emma Swan, the blonde woman that had so adamantly hated the ginger. The other woman was apparently her mother, Snow White, but it was the blonde savior she spoke about that had his full attention.

The Crimson Savior called that blonde idiot her best friend...worse, she actually viewed the Swan girl more like a sibling..._a sister_. If only she knew just how much her so called _sister_ hated her. He had seen their faces when they spoke about her...she was not family, she was not their friend, she wasnt even their ally..._she was their enemy_.

His thoughts turned murderous, his eyes shifting from their usual blue hue to a mirrored obsidian. He was going to kill them, kill them before they kill her. His heart may be blacker than the night sky, but he still at least had one...unlike Kora. He cared for this woman...a woman unlike any other. Yes...he would kill them..._all of them_...anyone that would do that woman any harm, their lives were forfeit.

The dark haired, black eyed pirate rose from his seat, fully intending on ending the lives of the blonde savior and her mother, along with cutting off Kora's head...but he stopped. His murderous intentions vanished in an instant, his eyes returning to their normal state and he barely managed to sit back down without falling...his legs seemingly unable to hold him up any longer.

Why? The crimson haired goddess was smiling and it was the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen. Her face seemed to brighten, almost like she was glowing. Her eyes, those utterly gorgeous sapphires, sparkled and shined. He just sat there gawking like an idiot, his gaze pretty much glued to the most incredible creature in the whole of creation.

One smile...one simple gesture of happiness...that was all it took to halt his murderous rampage. That one smile...it made everything he had lived through up to this point completely worth it...just to see that smile. His mind was transfixed, his heart felt like it was bursting, and his soul was flying through the stars...the infinite cosmos that lay beyond this tiny little world...so expansive and she was there flying amongst the stars just as he was.

_The infamous Scourge of the Sea was gradually leaning more and more towards a future with the ginger goddess, but dare he attempt to win her heart? He was a cruel and vile creature that lurked within the waves of his beloved sea. Would she even want a monster such as he?_


	6. Chapter 6: Ethereal Prism

**Chapter 6: Etheral Prism**

What was happening to him? Killian was changing…he no longer felt like he once did, a hollowed out husk that no longer cared for life. He could feel it deep within...a light..._a light in the darkness_. It was small but he could feel it growing and in that moment, he saw something within his mind...something, no someone was standing in the light...two men back to back..._it was him_...yet there were two. There was two of him and yet he was him...this was so confusing.

His mind quickly analyzed the two figures, trying to comprehend what their presence meant. The first was dressed in his usual attire but on the back of his _left hand_...a silver hook inside some kind of prism. The second him was dressed in clothes similar to the Crimson Savior, same style but in all black. On the back of his right hand..._a trident within a prism_.

What did it mean? What was this vision trying to tell him? They turned and looked at him. Hook's eyes were the mirrored obsidian that his eyes often changed to when he was out for blood and the trident one had his usual eye color but held that same mirrored quality as Hook's did.

He didn't understand but then the two men split apart to reveal the Crimson Savior. She wore a cream colored cloak with white fur lining the hood. She was so radiant and she was smiling. Hook and the other him approached her, the looks on their faces...like she was their world.

His heart felt a sharp ping of envy. They looked so happy. Why couldn't he have that too? A lifetime of cruelty and sin...perhaps he wasn't meant to have her like they did. She took a few steps towards him and the other two disappeared. She reached out to him with her right hand, her eyes so warm and open, filled with kindness and acceptance.

He didn't know what to do. Should he allow himself to indulge in this little fantasy or should he push her away and retreat into the darkness? The choice was made for him when her face shifted from warmth to shock as she was pulled away from him, falling backwards.

He reached for her but they were both engulfed in water..._a very deep_ amount of water. Were they in the ocean...he didn't have much time to think about it as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the Sea.

The ginger was sinking and quickly too. He immediately swam down but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to reach her. His lungs were beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen and his muscles were tiring quickly.

He couldn't breathe, he needed to surface for air, but he couldn't...he refused to abandon her...the last of his breath ran out and he breathed in water yet he wasn't...smack.

He blinked finding himself exactly where he had been sitting before, the back of his head now throbbing with a rather sharp stinging pain. Someone had slapped him in the back of the head. He turned to glare at the culprit, only to see a rather odd looking..._cat_? He wasn't sure if it was a cat, a rabbit, or some kind mix of different animals.

It was white, with long ears, the ends tinted in a soft pink with a few red dots. Seemingly floating around its ears were golden rings, one for each ear. Its fur was sleek and shiny, the tail fluffing out a bit as it swished back and forth in an almost hypnotic rhythm.

Its carmine eyes glowed an eery red, the inner depths swirling with what appeared to be blood. He barely noticed the odd pattern on its back, the same color as its eyes. The creature stared at him, never blinking...he was afraid. This creature held a disarming appearance and its cute yet elegant demeanor would make it nearly irresistible...especially to women.

It tilted its head and Killian actually found the action to be cute yet insanely creepy. Was it this creature that had smacked him back into reality and if so...why? Perhaps he was over thinking this too much. His eyes widened in surprise when a high pitch voice spoke within his mind, making a shiver run down his spine.

_'Contract?' _It asked its eyes boring into his.

He shook his head, not wanting to become any more involved with this creature. Its eyes narrowed, carmine shifting to blood red. Killian didn't move...his instincts were screaming...fight or flight?

_'Fascinating.'_ It stated finally blinking, _'This world is broken.'_

He couldn't help it...he answered back, _'Broken?'_

_'Indeed. So many different threads woven in the wrong order...it will break.'_ It answered cryptically.

_'Why tell me?'_ Killian asked honestly wondering why this conversation was happening at all.

_'You are the key.'_ It responded simply, its tail swishing a little faster, _'So much has been hidden...to shield you...so much you do not know...you must know.'_

_'What do you want from me?' _He asked wanting this conversation to be over.

The odd creature turned and walked away, its movements were graceful, surreal..._etheral._ It paused and he realized that it wanted him to follow it...but should he? Every instinct he had was telling him that this creature was incredibly dangerous...and _powerful_. Did he dare to provoke its wrath or try its patience in any way?

_'Humans are so indecisive...always thinking and never acting...even when they do finally act...it is too late.'_ It commented sitting down and looking off in the distance, _'Perhaps those dumb little creatures you call ogres will spur you into action.'_

The creatures ears lifted up, the rings beginning to glow, a strange chiming began like multiple metal rings clanking into each other. The ground shook slightly, causing the people within the encampment to become frightened. Killian rose to his feet, his eyes shifting to his rather heated obsidian orbs.

_'You want me to act...fine...my hook is enchanted...a little something from the Evil Queen. Let's see if you have a heart.'_ The Captain thought darkly.

The chiming sound subsided as the creature's ears returned to their original positions...it giggled.

_'Humans are so fun to toy with, but you asked a question yet you do not appear to want the answer.'_ It commented.

The creature rose to its feet and walked away again, this time he followed. More than a little annoyed and giving serious consideration to punting the little cat/rat into the forest. Said cat/rat found his thoughts to be rather amusing, giggling in a pitch even higher and more annoying than the Dark One.

They didn't walk far and the creature jumped up onto a sealed barrel, looking in a specific direction. The pirate followed its gaze and his eyes faded back to his normal oceanic state. The ginger goddess...she was dancing. A rather fast rhythm...where was the music coming from? Why was she dancing?

_'To calm them.' _It stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

_'There is something you want me to do and she is part of it, isn't she?'_ He surmised.

_'No...she is it. The thing I wish you to do is her.'_ It corrected making him frown in confusion, _'Always so dense.'_

It sighed heavily, shaking its head in exasperation.

_'She is the lock and you are the key. Insert the key into the lock and open the way once again but be careful. This is the last time. There will not be another. If you wish to understand then both is required, but if the second does not appear...this world will shatter. This is all I can do within this realm, the rest is for the two of you to decide.'_ It elaborated before simply fading away.

The dark captain was even more confused then before. That whole encounter didn't make sense but then again, his recent behavior didn't make sense either. He looked over at the dancing red head. Whatever was going on...it was connected to her. He needed to know more and not because the cat/rat had suggested it either.

_With change comes uncertainty, the tide is turning. A new current is being formed but where does it lead? The mystery deepens and the story has barely begun. Which course will the Dark Captain choose to follow? Will he remain as The Scourge of the Sea or will he once again embrace the title of The Terror of the Deep?_


	7. Chapter 7: Seeking the Truth

**Chapter 7: Seeking the Truth**

Killian dove head first into the rumor mill.

His rather intensive questioning was causing some very interesting rumors to fly about. Yeah, he was a little obsessed at the moment, he would not deny that, but he did go a bit overboard while trying to learn more about the Crimson Savior...and it showed.

He had overheard a rumor about himself...something along the lines of _'You know that one handed fellow, the blacksmith that turned up a few months back...he's practically smitten with the Savior.'_ And the usual reply was _'Oh I know. I feel so sad for him. She's the Savior. There's no way she would ever be interested in a coward like him_.'

That annoyed him...that annoyed him _a lot_, but then a new rumor started circulating and he wasnt sure which emotion he should be feeling; joy or dread. The rumor's origin was the red head asking about him.

_'Have you heard?! The Savior is asking about that blacksmith!'_

_'You're kidding! Oh...she probably just wants him to stop leering at her. Disgusting creep.'_

_'No! She was asking if he was married or betrothed to anyone!'_

_'Now I know you're not serious. She...is… the… Savior. There is no way she is interested him at all.'_

_'Cowardly or not, he is somewhat attractive. Clean him up a bit and I'm certain…'_

_'I think you're the one that is smitten with him.'_

He actually found that to be a little amusing...even as a cowardly blacksmith, the ladies still couldn't resist him. He watched another gossip biddy rush up to the other two, clearly there to relate the newest rumor.

_'You are never going to believe what I just heard!'_

_'Great...whats happened now?'_

_'The savior wants to meet the one handed blacksmith but is too shy to approach him!'_

_'Oh for heavens sake, that is utterly ridiculous. Why because the Savior has not hesitated to walk up to any of us and start a conversation. Me think he makes her feel uncomfortable, constantly gawking at her like an idiot and trailing after her like a stalker.'_

He did cringe slightly at the stalker comment. He hadn't meant to be so obvious but between gorgeous goddesses and cryptic cat/rats...he didn't really pay attention to who was watching.

_'Oh yeah...well how about this then? I asked her why she was so suddenly interested in that scaredy cat and she blew up one of the water barrels with her magic!'_

_'What?! Why?!'_

_'She was angry at me for calling him a coward and said that courage was not the absence of fear but that there was something more important than fear...and if I ever called him a coward again and she hears about it...my head will be the water barrel.'_

Killian was a bit surprised. They hadnt even met yet and she was already defending him and so violently too. He wondered if it was normal to be aroused from the idea of that gorgeous woman violently tearing into someone...even if it was only verbally.

_'Okay so she doesn't like it when people badmouth about other people. It does not mean that she is attracted to him at all. She just feels sorry for him. You've seen how kind she's been, being attentive, honest...especially good with children… thank you, God, for your divine mercy.'_

He was not surprised about the kids part. That woman was fantastic with children. She would make a wonderful mother...did she have a child back in her land? His heart pinched...did she have a husband to return to?

Despite the way she had been treated in Storybrooke, for someone like her to be unattached...there was no way that she...another woman runs up and this one looked completely shocked. What's going on?

_'She was asking about the blacksmith… again. She keeps asking again and again, wanting to know more about him and when Lily asked her why she was being so persistent...she blushed.'_

_'What?'_ All three women said in unison.

Hell he even thought it in his mind.

_'Lily kept pushing her for more and the Savior caved. She heard that the blacksmith was asking around about her and the things he was asking about…'_

_'And...come on! Don't leave us in suspense!'_

Yes, please don't...his heart was thudding hard in his chest with both anticipation and for once..._fear_.

_'She said that it sounded like he might be interested in her...oh my god, she was blushing so hard! She wants to know more about him too but she was afraid to approach him. What if he wasn't interested in her at all?_

_What if he was just curious about her magic, her being the savior...or worse, what if he thought she was some kind of freak of nature because of her magic or exotic looks?_

_You know she was treated horribly in her land, right? Everyone hated her or ignored her...she doesn't even have a bloke of her own and she's scared of what the blacksmith will say or do!_

_No one has ever shown that kind of interest in her, so she doesn't know what to do. That's why she's been asking around about him. She wants to know for sure before she decides to speak with him.'_

_'Hmm...that is a problem. Okay since I'm the biggest cynic here…' receiving several sounds of affirmation, 'the point is that I am not the least bit afraid of that cowardly prat. I'll just ask him meself.'_

She could not be serious. He knew who this woman was and she was a fast talking trouble maker that just loved making things more complicated than they should be.

_The Captain's obsession with the Crimson Savior has begun a series of events that he can no longer avoid. All things in life, not just magic, comes with a price...but who would pay the price and how much will be lost?_


	8. Chapter 8: Celtic Woman

**Chapter 8: Celtic Woman**

The Dark Captain internally groaned as he heard approaching footsteps. He couldn't catch a break, could he? A gorgeous goddess...good...bitchy blonde and her mother...bad...watching the Crimson Savior...good...cryptic cat/rats...bad...juicy gossip that had his stomach feeling like a swarm of butterflies...pretty certain that was good...the approaching disaster that could very well spell his doom...very not good.

"Oi, blacksmith. I want a word with you." The woman demanded her voice carrying a slight Celtic accent.

He turned and smiled nervously at her, pushing the whole cowardly thing into high gear.

"Um...is...is there something I can do for you...um…" he started...blast, he didn't actually know her name.

"The name's Rem and I got a question for ya. Ya had best be giving me an honest answer otherwise there will be hell to pay, ya hear?" Rem stated her accent getting heavier...probably because she was annoyed.

"Please...ask away. I...I'll do my best to...to give you an answer, Miss Rem." He replied ducking his head a little to make it appear as if he was intimidated by the firecracker.

Quite frankly...if he were in any other profession aside from piracy...he would have been a little intimidated. This girl did not stand on ceremony, spoke her mind… rather bluntly, and has actually made grown men cower before her..._with just one look_.

"You like the Savior, yeah? Ya had better with all the staring and stalking you've been doing. Whatcha think of her?" Rem demanded crossing her arms.

Oh dear...this was a loaded question if there ever was one. On one hand, pun intended, he wanted to meet her, to speak with her, to clearly hear her voice, to actually get to know her...pepper her with questions..._kisses_...and he...he just wanted her. Plain and simple, right?

Wrong...reason why..._Kora_. He didn't dare draw attention to himself. That heartless bitch would rip out his heart if he blew his cover...especially if the reason was a woman and that made a great deal of bile rise up in his mouth.

When did he become such a coward? Since a woman nearly ripped his heart out and incessantly squeezed it while it was still within his chest...he still felt the echoes of that pain and he did not want a repeat performance.

But he also knew that he wouldn't be able to escape the feisty Celtic wench because she had her own horse and rode like the devil was right behind her. What could he say...there was no right answer, was there?

"Sometime this century, idiot. I ain't getting any younger over 'ere." She complained tapping her foot on the ground in irritation.

Bloody hell...someone save him from this she-devil! Oh shit...not her...anyone but her. The crimson haired savior was walking straight towards him from the far side of the encampment...probably wondering what was going on and he quickly turned away, making himself look busy.

"Oi! Answer me question, ya bloody coward!" Rem snapped moving towards him.

Not good...the girl pushed him and he did make a show of falling, covering his face and trying to shield himself from the annoying little brat. God...this was humiliating! Somebody just kill him please. Seriously...it would be kinder to shoot him right now.

Rem proceeded to kick at him...damn, she actually found a tender spot. He had broken a rib a few months back on one of Kora's errands and although the rib was healed, the muscle however was still a bit sore...and that fucking Celtic bitch had landed a spot on kick to that exact spot.

Pain shot through his entire side and it took all he had to not cry out in pain, but he did roll over onto his side, his left arm trying to cover the spot but without a hand...he couldn't protect it from another kick...several actually.

That one had him coughing up blood and subsequent ones were becoming more and more painful. Not good because it meant that the little trollop was deliberately kicking him there on purpose. He didn't think that she would be this cruel. Yeah, she hated cowards but she had never beaten the stuffing out of them for not answering a simple question.

He tried to roll over to remove his right rib cage out of the line of fire but he didn't move fast enough because her heel came down hard on the exact spot of his injury and there was an audible pop. The barely healed rib had snapped in two and one end had jabbed into one of his internal organs because an insane amount of blood started coming out of his mouth...the right lung going by the pain and blood.

He was literally gagging on his own blood now...he couldn't even yell for help or make any kind of noise of distress loud enough for anyone to hear. In his current position, the firecracker couldn't see the blood pouring from his mouth. It didn't help that his vision was being blurred by the pain either, darkening around the edges from the blood loss.

Shit...was this how he was going to die? Like a coward...here lies the Scourge of the Sea killed by a wee lass from the old sod...bloody hell! This was so incredibly stupid! He was drowning on dry land, drowning on his own damn blood! Karma was a bitch.

_The Captain of the Jolly Roger knew that he would not escape the chilling call of death. He was paying the ultimate price for his obsession, but a single glimmer of hope still yet burned within his blackened heart. Would it be enough to save him?_


	9. Chapter 9: Broken Melody

**Chapter 9: Broken Melody**

The pirate's ears heard a voice...the most beautiful voice he had ever heard...the crimson savior. Would he at least get to die in her arms? What a blessing that would be...might actually make dying worth it...especially if his head was in her lap.

"Get the hell away from him...NOW!" The red head yelled not giving a damn about ogres.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, Miss Savior? I reckon that ya ain't one because the Savior wouldn't be some cowardly little girl. She would go after what she wanted but not you. You're so scared of what this piece of trash might say or do. Ya disgust me, ya filthy yella bellied bitch." Rem said really pissing off the pirate.

No way in hell was he going to let her...Rem screamed and there was a distinct thud not far away. He felt a rather small sized hand touch his arm softly but he jerked away instinctively. Shit...he was acting like a wounded animal.

He whimpered in pain, pushing his face into the ground. Sweet lord...it hurt so much. He couldn't breathe because every breath was another stab into his already damaged lung. He was practically suffocating, internal bleeding for sure, and the pain was so fierce that he was actually in tears.

Then that heavenly voice returned and this time it was singing...his goddess was singing to him. A final send off...he could live...crap, terrible pun.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." She began her voice soft...melodic even.

A gentle warmth poured over him, into him, and through him. The pain decreasing and it was getting easier to breathe. Was she using her magic to heal him? Was he not going to die?

"Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design. Saved what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine." She sang her voice drifting away.

His vision began to clear and the blood vanished. He could feel his rib sliding back into place and he no longer felt like he was suffocating. The last of the pain faded away as did the warmth. He was alive...he wasn't dying...he was _alive_ and then a terrible thought shot straight through his relief, turning it into a fearful dread.

He didn't dare turn over, he couldn't...he knew, he just knew that she would recognize him. He wasn't sure how she would know but he was absolutely certain that she would know exactly who he was.

When she did...she would hate him. She would regret saving him because of his rather deplorable history and his insanely cruel, sexual exploits. For the first time in his life, he regretted becoming a pirate, for becoming something that most people either hated or feared.

He wouldn't be able bear it...if she looked at him and her beautiful sapphire eyes were filled with hatred. He honestly believed that it would break him.

What the devil has come over him? Why did it matter if she hated him? She was just the latest in a long line, his newest obsession...yet he knew that he was lying to himself. He didn't know why he cared so much about the ginger goddess...but he did. Please...just leave...dont look at him.

"I healed you with magic and you won't look at me. Do you hate me that much?" She spoke her words soaked in sorrow and loneliness.

Don't...please dont think that. He didnt hate her...he couldnt hate her even if he tried. She had just saved his life...but he couldn't let her see who he was. He hated himself so much right now. He was hurting her by trying to spare himself the memory of her hate filled eyes.

Small, gentle hands slid across his arm and back in a soothing manner. Why wouldn't she just leave? Those hands brushed through his hair and he found himself relaxing. There was something very familiar about this...like a dream...or a memory of a dream...so familiar and soothing...why?

"Will you let me sing for you? You don't have to look at me and I won't try to look. Is that okay?" She requested softly and he found himself nodding.

He couldnt deny her request...at this point, he couldn't deny her anything. If she asked it of him...he would look at her even though it would kill him to do so.

"Cruel and cold like winds on the sea,

will you ever return to me.

hear my voice, sing with tide

my love will never die.

over waves and deep in the blue

I will give up my heart for you

ten long years I'll wait to go by

My love will never die

Come, my love, be one with the sea

rule with me for eternity,

drown all dreams so mercilessly

and leave their souls to me

play the song you sang long ago

and wherever the storm may blow

you will find the key to my heart

we'll never be apart

wild and strong you can't be contained

never bound nor ever chained

wounds you caused will never mend

and you will never end

Cruel and cold like winds on the sea

will you ever return to me

hear my voice sing with the tide

our love will never die."

He loved it...a song of the Sea for a child of the sea. The beginning and end were soft but he really liked how the middle had been so strong, so certain...it was how he felt when he was at the helm during a particularly vicious storm...man vs. nature.

The beginning was like watching the sun rise up from the sea, bathing the water in an orange glow and the ending...the twilight...the first stars appearing. He wanted so badly for her to keep singing...he would never tire of it, he was sure of it.

She continued to brush through his hair while her other hand remained on his arm. He couldn't do this...all day he wanted to be with her, to guide her, and help her. This wasnt him, was it? This sentimentality and lovey dovey crap wasn't him...anymore..._right_? Then why did it hurt so much?

_The notorious pirate renowned for his cruelty and bloodlust...was afraid. So much within him was changing and the intensity of his deeper emotions has thrown him into disarray. Why...the ever elusive question that all sentient creatures have asked. The answer...a rather mischievous goddess._


	10. Chapter 10: Truth and Consequences

**Chapter 10: Truth and Consequences**

Killian Jones didn't understand. Why did she stay? She hasn't moved, still running her fingers through his hair...why won't she leave? He honestly didn't know how long they stayed like that but he was definitely aware when the Celtic bitch came back, swearing up a storm.

His body tensed up, every muscle tightening...not in fear..._but in rage_. The things spewing out her mouth was not only bad form but bad period. His bloodlust began to rise and he could feel his darker self, Hook, pushing passed everything else but did not breach the surface.

Why...the small hand still brushing gently through his hair like the bitchy Celtic girl wasn't even there. Same pace, same gentle strokes...and then she spoke...and Hook dived bombed back from whence he came. Why because his goddess was fucking terrifying...her tone was level, calm, polite, and conversational yet somehow lethal... her voice practically screamed _dangerous_.

"Remaria Beltone McCreedy." The red head spoke softly.

"What? How...how'd ja know that name? I haven't told anyone that name." Rem demanded but there was a trickle of fear in her voice.

"Funny thing about magic...I wanted to know who was killing my blacksmith and it told me..._everything_." She answered simply, her tone even until the last word...it was like the crack of a whip.

Though it didn't stop him from absolutely loving the fact that she had called him _her blacksmith_. She had just officially laid claim to him in front of quite a few people and it made his pulse speed up in response.

"I wasn't killing him! I just wanted him to answer me question about whether or not he liked ja." The Celtic girl refuted.

"Really? So...the broken rib spearing his right lung...nothing more than a physical defect then?" The ginger asked a sliver of ice entering her tone and making Killian genuinely afraid.

He could feel it in the air...a pressure. It was weighing him down and lord knows what it was doing to everyone else...especially when the temperature dropped and he started shivering. His entire body felt like it was exposed to the elements in the midst of winter.

Her fingers threaded deeper into his hair, rubbing along his scalp gently. If he had been a cat, he would be purring because with the change came a gentle warmth. It flowed through his body and he stopped shivering...despite the fact that the temperature was continuing to drop.

"You're lying. I'm strong but not strong enough to break through a rib completely." The girl replied.

The warmth completely enveloped him, leaving no part of him untouched. What was he experiencing? Was it magic and if so, why did it feel so amazingly good?

"It takes a lot of courage to kill an injured man in front of so many witnesses. His fourth rib had been broken some time ago but it had not fully mended. A hairline fracture still remained...all it would take was a few well placed kicks and pop...then a single moment of pressure...the heel of someone's boot for instance…" the red head continued her other hand coming to cover the exact spot where he had been injured.

Oh shit...he was sensing the shift in his goddess's emotional state, but the constant warmth flowing through his body kept him calm despite how tense the atmosphere was becoming.

"I didn't know...honest i didn't." The Celtic girl said quickly...she finally realized what she had nearly done.

"Do you know what it feels like to drown, Miss McCreedy?" The red head asked her tone level but her right hand knotted into his cloak, "Because I do. You try to hold your breath but the longer you do, the more your lungs begin to burn."

Killian heard gasping noises from Rem's direction...no, she couldn't be...the hand in the cloak tightening and the noises get louder.

"Now in most liquids, a person would pass out from the lack of air...but when your lungs are filled with the essence that flows through your veins...now _that_ is when things get a bit..._messy_." She continued her right hand releasing his cloak and coming back to rest on his arm.

The gasping noises turned into wet, gagging sounds as the Crimson haired woman scratched along his scalp gently. That sensation coupled with the constant warmth circulating his body...he was becoming quite drowsy and somewhat aroused, his member twitching in response to her actions.

Were it not for the almost choking noises coming from Rem's direction, he would have just gone to sleep. Was that what his goddess wanted...for him to go to sleep and not witness her chilling cruelty?

"When a lung is punctured by bone, it rips instead of slices, tears instead of saws. You bleed internally of course but when your life essence enters your lungs, it's sticky and congeals...do you want to know how it feels to drown in your own blood..._like he was_?" The red head continued her tone becoming darker but was still level and conversational,

"He was choking, his own blood killing him. The pain alone would bring even war veterans to tears. They would weep from the agony and cry out in pain, but he couldn't even do that. His own rib cutting through his lung every time he tried to breathe.

The blood pouring from his mouth because his lungs were completely filled already and when blood is in the lungs, it weighs them down, solidifying...each breath he tries to take...a moment of infinite agony.

All the while...he is awake...he is aware...the sheering pain preventing him from losing consciousness. He knows that he is moments away from that final journey that we all must take. He was facing the absolution of certain death, knowing that there was nothing he could do...powerless to save himself.

_Just as you are now_." She finished, the last sentence filled with so much venom and a frigid bloodlust that it induced terror in all who heard it.

There was the sound of something hitting the ground...Rem...sweet lord..._she was killing Rem_. What was he supposed to do?

It was one thing for him to kill someone… he's a pirate, kind of in the job description, but his goddess..._The Crimson Savior_...no, she shouldn't have to do that. Her hands should not be stained with blood.

The Captain of the Jolly Roger had to make a choice; the soul of his goddess or the breaking of his own heart? Who was he kidding...there was no choice for he had already decided.

_The Scourge of the Sea, Captain Hook, was slipping away. The Crimson Savior forcing him to step into the light, confronting the very darkness that he once called home...the Dark Captain was fading away or was the darkness infecting the goddess that saved him? Was she becoming like him or worse...a Dark Savior?_


	11. Chapter 11: A Painful Mistake

**Chapter 11: A Painful Mistake**

The Dark haired captain pushed himself up off the ground, her hands immediately retracting, and he turned to face her. He could see the Celtic girl on the ground… she wasn't moving… she was barely breathing.

"Stop." He ordered looking into her blue eyes.

He was surprised...he had expected to see intense rage and hatred in those sapphire depths, but instead...they were dancing with mischief and..._victory?_ She smirked and that smirk made a thousand different ideas run through his head...all of them naughty...he became aware of the increasing tension within his pants.

"Stop what..._sweetie_?" She asked leaning forward a little, her tone confident and rather..._saucy_.

He blinked a few times...damn his heart was pounding so hard and so fast. All he could do was stare into her eyes. What was this? What was he feeling? It was so strong..._wild_..._real_...it felt genuine and deep. He could barely breathe, let alone think.

"Don't kill her..._please_." He begged feeling the wind swirling around them.

The breeze whipped around them and the pressure in the air dissipated. There was a brief moment of silence as if the whole of nature was holding its breath. Then the ginger goddess raised an eyebrow before she started giggling, her eyes dancing with mirth and _smugness_? What?

"I'm not killing anyone. Isn't that right, Rem?" She replied and Killian's eyes snapped over to the Celtic girl.

Said girl simply rolled over and propped her head up with her left hand. She was smirking just like the ginger goddess and waved at him with her other hand.

_What?_ _What just..._his eyes widened..._did they just play him like a fiddle? What?_

"Sorry about the whole near death thing. I didn't actually know that ya had been hurt...otherwise i would have aimed somewhere else." Rem commented getting up and sitting cross legged on the ground, an apologetic look on her face.

Killian was honestly flabbergasted, his mouth partially open in shock. _Was this really all a setup that just happened to go a bit wrong by accident?! _

"A ruse?" He asked weakly seeking verification.

Was this for real? Was it really all made up? _What_?

"From start to finish." The red head commented looking rather pleased with herself, "The almost killing you...that was an accident. Sorry..._ish_."

"_Ish?_" He echoed trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.

His head was doing the backstroke while the rest of him was trying to loosen itself from its shellshocked state. How in the…?

"Its your own fault, ya bloody idiot! Ya refused to look at her! Ya made her cry!" Rem snapped angrily, interrupting his thoughts.

Her words sunk in and the dark haired pirate snapped his gaze back to his goddess and sure enough, her eyes were shimmering slightly with residual moisture. She was in the process of wiping her face, removing the evidence of said moisture.

He had been so focused on stopping her that he hadn't even noticed that she had been crying. He has experienced a great many things in his life, most either painful or bloody. He has experienced heartache and loss, fury and hatred, grief and despair, and suffered from many varieties of pain and discomfort.

In this moment...this was the worst pain he has ever felt. Her tears...it was like every part of him was being dragged through shattered glass. A heartless queen squeezing his heart, his own rib puncturing his lung, the loss of his hand….even the loss of his elder brother paled in comparison to the pain he was feeling right now.

The curly ginger was right and it was his fault. His own cowardice had caused her pain. By simply refusing to look at her, he had broken her heart...he was right bastard that was for sure.

How could he do this to her? Hasn't she suffered enough? So many people have made her cry already...why did he have to be one of them? Damn...the pain in his heart was so sharp. Why...sweet lord, why did it hurt so much?

These feelings were so strong, stronger than anything he has ever felt before. He was confused and his head was spinning with countless questions. He needed answers, but where to start? His eyes flickered over to the goddess's accomplice in this little farce.

Wait...how did these two even meet? He had been watching her most of the day and there were very few moments when he hadn't been there. Hey...even he needed food and when nature calls, you don't ignore it.

Seriously though...why would the feisty Celtic girl be involved in the first place? What possible motive could she have for assisting the redhead? He was missing something...some kind of connection. Just who was Remaria Beltone McCreedy and why did she seem so familiar to him?

_Killian Jones was sliding further and further into the light, yet echoes of his past still lingered. The mystery has gained yet another layer of complexity and his beautiful goddess has become that much more fascinating. Memory was such a fickle thing and fate was not kind._


	12. Chapter 12: The Lost Girl

**Chapter 12: The Lost Girl**

The quite frankly confused and mildly frustrated captain stared at the green eyed girl, his ocean blue orbs boring into hers. Who was she? Why was she involved? Why did she seem so familiar? Give him answers already!

"I wanted to pay ya back, ya big numpty." Rem said making him believe that all women were mind readers...the smart ones at least.

"For what?" He asked genuinely confused.

He didn't recall ever meeting her, so what debt to him was she trying to repay. She was in her late teens, maybe early twenties so he was in Neverland for a good chunk of her life.

_Neverland_...an image of a little girl covered in dirt and leaves, scratched to hell and bleeding in the middle of the jungle that made up most of the island's surface. The eyes...their eyes were the same, could it be? Was it possible...here of all places?

"I reckoned ya wouldn't remember me. We met a long time ago...i was just a tyke then. Lost and alone, hurt and scared...until ya found me." Rem spoke smiling softly at him,

"You picked me up and carried me to safety. I was able to go home to me mum and dad because of you. I wanted to do something to pay ya back for saving me..._for caring_.

When I heard ya asking about Madame Red over there...I figured ja fancied her but you wouldn't go to her...not even to introduce yourself and then she was mucking about...not wanting to cause ya any problems because she's the Savior and all."

Killian stared at the girl...no, _young woman_...she had grown up so much. She was quite the looker too with those orange curls…the true ginger of the two of them. Her eyes were a lovely forest green with just a touch of lime green. Incredible...it really was her...wait a second...

"When did you start calling yourself, Rem? You said your name was Maria." He asked momentarily forgetting to project his cowardly blacksmith persona.

Her face brightened and her eyes sparkled with happiness. He was not prepared for the Celtic woman's sudden launch at him, hugging him tightly.

"Ya do remember!" She cried happily.

He wasn't really certain what to do so he just sort of awkwardly returned the hug. Her cheek pressed against his...he felt it when tears began to trickle down her face.

"Hey now...i think there's been enough rain today, don't you think?" He suggested trying to get her to stop crying.

He remembered how he had heard her in the jungle. He had been on the run, trying to escape the lost boys and he had found her curled into the roots of a tree, whimpering in fear. So small...she had been so tiny. She couldn't have been any older than three maybe four and even then, she was small for her age.

She had been covered in scratches and scrapes. She was dusty and dirty, quite a bit of mud caked on her arms and legs, but it was the tear tracks on her cheeks that had made him stop...despite the lost boys being only a few minutes behind him.

For a man hell bent on revenge, he certainly did care a lot...especially back then. It had taken only a moment, a brief meeting of their eyes, and he made the decision to take her with him. He rushed over to her and held out his arms...she didn't even hesitate. She practically leapt into his arms, crying in relief.

He wasn't really sure what happened afterwards. It was all a blur but he did remember how it felt to carry that little girl in his arms, the lost boys right behind them, arrows and rocks whizzing passed them. A fair few hit him because he had used his own body to shield her.

"I never got a chance to thank you." She said softly and a few nearly inaudible words reached his ear, "_Thank you...Captain_."

His eyes widened as his body tensed. Shit...this wasn't good! He didn't know that someone from his past would be here! No! That meant that he had to kill her in order to keep his cover intact...but he already knew..._he couldn't hurt her_. She did accidentally try to kill him but that was no fault of her own.

"Mister blacksmith… I'm grateful to ya for saving me and all but…" Rem started pulling back and then smacking him in the back of the head, "You ever make her cry again and I really will kill ya! Ya got that, ya bloody idiot?!"

His eyes softened and his body relaxed. She wasn't going to rat on him...definitely dodged a bullet on that one but still..._they fucking played him and he had been completely and utterly duped! This was why you never get a feisty wench with a sharp mind and an even more deadly and positively gorgeous probability mapper within five feet of each other!_ Chaos, complete and utter chaos!

"Yeah, I got it. Now answer my question. Rem? Then explain how you two even crossed paths in the first place." He replied giving her a look.

"Guess ya don't remember that bit, eh? It was the name that Fang gave me before ya had to leave. As for her and me…" she started becoming rather put out, "She bested me and with me favorite weapon too...the bow."

He let out a short laugh at the Celtic woman pouting like a child. She stuck her tongue out at him before crossing her arms and looking away in a huff, making him smile. Well that explains the meeting part and for his lack of presence. He had left to grab some food while his goddess had been taking on challengers at the archery range.

"Tell him the rest, Remaria." The ginger goddess instructed smirking again and making him remember the growing dilemma in his pants.

Damn it, woman! Stop smirking already! He did not need an agonizing erection right now!

"Before we started our battle of skill...i told her that I knew ya and I could introduce ya to each other but she declined so i made it a wager. If I won, you two would be meetin' and greetin' but if she won…" Rem started but then stopped.

"If i won then she had to fire up the gossip mill into a frenzy, leading straight into a confrontation." The red head explained… still smirking...he swore she was doing it on purpose.

"I was supposed to play the villain and she swoop in and save ya from me, forcing ya to interact with her since the gossiping didn't spur ya into action. Again...your own bloody fault for being a sissy." Rem elaborated glaring at him but without any heat.

"I get it. It's my fault for being such a coward." He replied receiving a slap to the face from his ginger haired goddess, making him blink in surprise...his left cheek stinging from the impact.

"Call yourself a coward again and I'll show you what true cowardice looks like. Is that clear?" The red head stated her tone leaving no room for argument so he just nodded.

He would admit it...that had actually surprised him. He never expected her to have such an immediate reaction...a rather passionate one at that.

Then she smiled at him and he kind of forgot how to breathe...his stomach felt like he had swallowed a swarm of butterflies and he couldn't look away.

_The Dark Captain had found some answers, only for more questions to arise. Now he was faced with his greatest challenge...The Crimson Savior, an enchantress seeking to claim her Captain. Can he resist the woman that has captured him with her eyes alone?_


	13. Chapter 13: Purity of Magic

**Chapter 13: Purity of Magic**

The dark haired pirate was not even remotely aware of when the Celtic woman had left. He was far too focused on the most enchanting woman he had ever laid eyes upon. She was so beautiful...such a heavenly creature whose entire focus was on him and he could scarcely breathe.

She reached up with her right hand, glowing with a soft electric blue light. He pulled back slightly, having been preconditioned by Kora to instinctively fear any magic being directed towards him. She froze, hurt flashing through her eyes briefly and he hated himself...again. Why did he keep hurting her?

She started to pull her hand away, her sapphires dulling with sadness, but he caught it with his hand, her eyes shifting from sorrow to surprise. He pulled her hand back towards him, his eyes apologetic. A small smile formed on her face as she placed her glowing hand on the cheek that she had slapped mere moments ago.

His eyes slid close of their own accord, the gentle warmth, which he now knew to be the standard setting for her magic, making him lean into her touch. He didn't know why he liked the feel of her magic and it was causing all sorts of chaos in his mind, body, and most definitely in his sword.

In fact, he kind of felt like an addict at this point….her magic acting like his own personal drug...or the best damn vintage in existence, either way...he was starting to crave it and when she pulled her hand away again...his own snapped up to grab her wrist a second time. His eyes opened and he realized what he had done.

He immediately relinquished his grip on her and looked away. This...this felt so surreal. So many emotions that he had thought were forever lost to him were surging to the surface...so much was happening and so quickly. He didn't know where to go from here or what to say to her.

He was pulled from his thoughts when her left hand touched his right, threading her fingers with his. Her other hand guided his face so that he was looking at her once more. She was smirking again, a knowing look in those gorgeous sapphires. Uh oh… she knew. She knew who he was… what was she going to do? Still… there was a silver lining… _she didn't hate him or fear him._

He was surprised, however, when she rose to her feet, pulling him up as well. She gently pulled him and he went along willingly. They walked through the encampment hand in hand and he was vaguely aware of the people staring at them, but he was focusing on the sensation coming from their joined hands. It was so warm and yet another chord of familiarity pinging in the recesses of his mind.

He looked around and realized that they were leaving the encampment. They walked for quite a while. They were far enough out that no one would hear her if she screamed and with the bird song in the air, it meant the scouters had successfully lured the ogres away...mainly in part to the ginger's assistance and that special powder she had whipped up.

She stopped and released his hand, he immediately missed the warmth, but he was curious about why she had brought them here...so far away that no one could eavesdrop or spy on them.

She turned to face him and his mouth ran dry...her eyes very much like a predator.

"Hello." She said with mischief in her eyes and a small smirk on her lips.

"Hello." He replied automatically, internally cringing at how breathless he sounded.

Her smirk deepened and there was a sharp twang of pain down below, informing him that he was rock solid and standing at attention. He really needed to do something about that because when he got this hard...well it was rather uncomfortable and almost impossible to ignore.

"Hello." She repeated amusement now flickering alongside mischief.

"That's hello twice." He commented loving how her face brightened.

"Dull but thorough." She replied and he was pretty certain that there was an inside joke there.

"As conversations go...absolutely riveting." He sassed inwardly berating himself for reverting back to usual persona.

The red head started giggling, her eyes becoming even brighter with mirth and humor...beautiful...simply stunning. Yep...he was doomed. There would never be another woman like her in his life, all paled in comparison and fell very short of this mischievous goddess.

"Oh yes...the suspense is positively thrilling." She countered showing her own sass and sarcasm.

He really, really liked her. Finally...a woman with an actual personality and not just a pretty face. He was pretty damn close to throwing caution to the wind.

He inched closer, leaving only a few inches between them. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body...her scent was pure and seemed to be a mixture of things.

"There's no need to be apprehensive, love. I only bite when asked to." He responded dropping the blacksmith persona entirely and turning up the charm.

Might as well go for it...no telling when another opportunity might arise again… probably never. He would prefer to be damned for being himself than to continue on with this ridiculous farce. Her cheeks tinted pink… blushing, she was blushing… and it somehow enhanced her appearance and her appeal!

"Biting is all well and good, sweetie, but I prefer a more _hands on_ approach." She stated flirting right back.

Her hands trailed underneath his rather dingy cloak and he had to stop himself from closing his eyes just to enjoy the sensation. She ghosted along his body, her fingers touching him so softly...it was making him lose his mind.

He noticed when her smile slipped back into a smirk and then she suddenly pulled away completely. He almost stepped towards her but then noticed what was in her hand...the second counterspell bracelet. Seriously?

"I do apologize for pickpocketing but I prefer loading the deck as much as possible." She stated slipping the bracelet onto her right wrist.

She was good but why continue conversing with him now that she had what she wanted...they haven't even been properly introduced yet either. Wow...they didn't even know each other's name. He swore the woman read his mind because she answered his unspoken questions.

"My name is Artz Lanaria and you...are Killian Jones. As for the rather obvious question on your face, I'm still talking to you because i happen to quite like you." She answered smiling softly at him.

"I suggest caution, love. I have a tendency to go after what i want." He informed inching closer again.

She took him off guard again and closed the distance between them, her arms reaching up to wrap around his neck. He could feel every curve, every conture, and by the stars, he wanted to bed this woman. She fit perfectly against him and it was taking every ounce of his self control to just stand still.

He could feel the small tremors coming from all over his body, his senses hyperaware of the woman in his arms. She was soft and gentle, her slim yet curvy figure seemed to be designed just for him because she really did fit _perf_ectly.

Every time she brushed against his body ever so slightly, it was like receiving an electric shock followed by a surge of heat and his erection was so hard that he could scarcely breathe without audibly revealing his… _distress_.

"I am well aware of your reputation, Captain, but I certainly do hope that I am one of the things you want." She stated cheeks becoming rosy and fear flickering briefly through her eyes.

Why was she afraid...and then it hit him. She was a _virgin_...this incredibly gorgeous goddess has never known the intimate touch of a man..._was this for real_? How could someone so devastatingly attractive be a virgin?! Was she choosing him? Did she want him to be her first, to grant her gift of purity to a man like him?

_The ginger goddess had played him masterfully, not once but twice, and she was now offering the most precious gift she could give him or was it another ruse, to keep him off his guard?_


	14. Chapter 14: Goddess of the Sea

**Chapter 14: Goddess of the Sea**

Killian pressed up against her, his groin grinding against her womanhood and he heard her breath hitch. Her eyes widened in surprise as he slipped down slightly so that his painfully hard erection was in between her legs. The heat did nothing to alleviate his problem, but he smirked as he started moving slightly back and forth, the barest of friction being generated by the movement...knowing exactly what kind of an effect it would have on her.

He then wrapped his left arm around her waist, bringing her fully into his embrace, loving how her beautiful blue eyes dilate from her physical desire. _Why_? Why did this woman call to him so much? Why was he so obsessed with the desire to learn more about her? Why does one smirk from her make him harder than a diamond and cause such insurmountable chaos to erupt within his mind and heart?

He continued the gentle movement, pushing all those thoughts to the back of his mind, and then she looked up at him, her eyes holding anticipation, insecurity, a growing physical lust, and there was some fear...she was a virgin, of course she was going to be frightened. She was experiencing a brand new set of sensations that she had never felt before and he could see it in her eyes… _curiosity_, but he wasn't going to just take her virginity.

He wanted her to give it to him, but to also make absolutely certain that this was what she truly wanted. He needed to ask...he needed to know for sure...but by the stars, _he desperately needed her_.

"If you wish to remain a virgin, my lady, now would be a good time to speak up because if you don't, you won't be getting any rest for the next few hours...and that's only for starters." He informed his lips hovering above hers as he spoke.

Killian thought that she would hesitate, that there would be some kind of doubt or uncertainty. He expected her to act like a traditional virgin, but what he got instead was something very far away from what he had expected.

Her hands threaded into his hair and she pulled him to her, kissing him deeply. She pressed her entire body against him and he damn near groaned in pain and pleasure, the friction from the sudden movement and the increased pressure making him a bit light headed for a moment.

When her hands scratched his scalp in a vain attempt to bring him that much closer, a fire so hot rushed through his veins that it felt like every part of him was burning. He wanted her...he needed her… _he wanted to be inside her...he needed to make her his...and he had to do it now._

He broke the kiss but only long enough to remove the cloak, spreading it out quickly. He was not at all gentle when he roughly pushed her down onto the fabric. Within a fraction of a second, his body descended to cover her hers. He looked briefly into her sapphire orbs, noticing just how fixated her gaze was...almost like she was afraid to look away.

He took advantage of her highly focused state and kissed her again, using his tongue to forcibly open her lips. When she finally complied with his silent demand, she opened her mouth and he wasted no time, shoving his tongue deep into her mouth and exploring everything.

He stopped exploring when she started to wiggle beneath him. For a moment, he thought that she was having second thoughts...only for the little she-devil to reposition herself so that he was firmly situated in between her legs, said legs wrapping around his to keep him from going anywhere.

She was quite the naughty one...a lovely surprise since she was untouched. He willingly obliged her need for closeness and ground against her womanhood, her breathing becoming panting. The friction and heat caused by the movement and pressure almost made him peak, but he managed to wrangle himself down to a not so gentle roar.

The pirate captain returned to kissing her before moving lower, kissing and nipping at the exposed flesh of her neck and part of her chest. When reaching a particular spot near the junction of her neck and shoulder, her body suddenly arched into him but only for a moment.

He smirked against her skin, making her tremble beneath him. So...his virgin goddess liked a little pain especially with that particular spot...a bit vampiric he would admit but it did not stop him from sharply nipping that spot again. On cue her body arched and when it did, he grounded even harder against her and she actually squeaked in surprise, in pleasure, and a fair amount of delight.

Oh he was going to enjoy this...with a bit more exploration, he would find all of those lovely trigger spots that would make her go crazy with want and desire, losing all sense of rationality and focusing purely on sating her physical lust.

That was the plan but then again, she certainly knew how to catch him off guard whilst simultaneously blind siding him with her rather unexpected behavior. When she used her hands to push him back, disappointment and hurt flooded his system, but her next words made him question whether or not this was actually happening.

"I would say be gentle but quite frankly, I want to know how rough the sea can be." She requested and all he could do was stare.

Was she serious? A virgin begging him to be as rough as he wanted with her?! Was he dreaming? Was this some kind of illusion or perhaps he really did die back there and this was his version of heaven? This...all of this was _impossible_ so much so that he actually had to ask.

"Is this a dream, love? I swear it feels like one." He questioned his eyes gazing into her own.

"Sweet Menti Celesti...i hope not." She answered tears beginning to form in her eyes.

No...no more crying. The only tears he wanted to cause were the ones caused by positive emotions; tears of joy, of relief, of laughter. He smiled at her, his eyes unknowingly shifting to mirrored obsidian. Her eyes widened at the sight before he placed a soft, gentle kiss against her lips.

"Don't cry. Even if it is a dream...i swear I will find you and make it reality." He promised and he meant it too.

He was a bit confused by the look on her face; shock, hope, surprise, relief, joy and wonder...and then her entire demeanor shifted from the insecure virgin to a fierce predator, her sapphire orbs becoming more vibrant and filled to the brim with want and impatience. What the bloody hell caused that and did it actually matter at this point?

"Then what the hell are you waiting for...an invitation? Hell...if you want me to say it, I will. Will you please fuck me already?!" She snapped her hands clawing into his clothes.

Holy shit! She was actually trying to rip his clothes off and if he didn't do something soon… she was going to succeed, but he remembered her request… to show her how rough the sea could be. She was so going to regret that because he was most definitely _not_ a gentle lover.

He could be rather brutal and so physically demanding that every woman that had experienced the true force of the dark captain had been rendered completely helpless, their bodies so bruised and exhausted that they couldn't even stand or walk for weeks.

The question was..._should he be that rough_? His gloriously beautiful goddess was untouched, a true and pure virgin..._did he dare be so abusively violent to her innocent body_? Quite frankly...she wasn't leaving him with much of a choice because if he didn't pin her down, his clothes were not going to survive and he kind of needed them since he didn't have a second set with him.

So instead of answering her demand verbally, he let his actions speak for him. He leaned down, pinning her hands in between them, and kissed her harshly, rubbing against her womanhood quite forcefully. The response was instant and her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head as her body reacted of its own accord.

Killian wanted his sinfully delicious goddess to be in a highly aroused state because the more focused she was on feeling instead of thinking, the less likely she would scream bloody murder when he finally takes that which she is so graciously giving him of her own free will.

_Her virginity_...he would be the first man to claim her and if he had his way, he would be the only one that ever would. He wanted to scorch this day into her memory, branding her so deeply that she would dream of him taking her again and again and never wanting another man to ever touch her.

The clothes started finally coming off… mainly hers and that made her whine in disapproval, but he soon remedied that by utterly ravishing her now bare chest. He had been right when he first saw her...she did indeed have the perfect sized breasts for his personal taste. It really annoyed him that he couldn't give both attention at the same time..._blasted crocodile for taking his bloody hand_.

That darker thought had him becoming increasingly rougher and oh...the sounds coming from the crimson haired beauty. She seemed to revel in his ferocity, her hands trying desperately to find something to hang onto...mainly him which resulted in him removing the upper half of his clothing before she could shred them.

Sweet lord...she had some sharp finger nails! She was clawing and scratching at his back so hard that he was surprised that he wasn't bleeding. He was taken off guard when she pushed him onto his back and immediately went after his trousers. He tried to stop her but once she got her hands wrapped around his sword..._he was seeing stars._

Bloody hell! How could she be a virgin?! No virgin he has ever bedded was able to service him like she was doing and when her mouth became involved...he was rather embarrassed. Why because the slightest bit of suction she had exerted with her mouth was enough to make him prematurely peak, filling her mouth with his seed.

She did gag initially having been unprepared for the sudden eruption and nearly breathing it into her lungs, but once she was able to get control over her involuntary response, she swallowed what remained...a sight more erotic than it should have been and she went back to servicing him again.

The damn wench was far too good at this to be a virgin! He could barely formulate any sort of conscious thought, his mind so completely muddled by the intense sensations the little devil was causing. Didn't help that she got that look in her eyes...the sparkling sapphires shining with curiosity...oh dear...that look and the actions that immediately followed had him coming so hard that she had to swallow several times before she could breathe properly again.

_Enough_! He growled deeply, making her look at him and he loved how she went shock still, eyes unblinking...because she knew what was about to happen and the tide was turned. He stripped her out of the remaining infernal clothing that dared to hide what he was seeking, but he stopped before going after his prize.

His still blackened eyes roamed over every inch of exposed flesh, soaking in the image of his gorgeous _virgin_ goddess lying naked beneath him. What a sight to behold! He saw every flaw, speckle, blemish and even a few scars...but to him, she was even more beautiful than he could possibly imagine.

She shifted, attempting to cover herself. That blasted town of idiots! She was so insecure about herself that being exposed like this, even though he was about to be her lover, made her feel inferior, imperfect, and seeing the anxiety and shame in both her eyes and body language..._it pissed him off_.

"Dont you dare hide...not from me." He growled out, watching surprise and uncertainty flash through her eyes, "Let me see you..._please_."

He needed her to trust him, otherwise she would panic when he would try to enter her. She needed to know that in his eyes, she truly was a goddess in mortal form. She looked away from but he could see the tears beginning to slip from her eyes.

He hated them...all those worthless people that has pushed her, _his goddess of the sea_, so far, breaking her so much that she couldn't even look at him when she cried, ashamed of her tears, of showing weakness in front of someone.

He leaned down and her body tensed. He hovered above her, keeping all the weight off of her body.

"Look at me, love." He said softly, his voice sounding much kinder and gentler than he thought himself possible of.

A slight whimper came from her throat as she shook her head. Her tears coming that much faster as she closed her eyes, her expression showing such guilt and sorrow that his heart skipped a few beats.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to stay calm. Honest I was, but when you looked at me…" She started her breath catching her throat, "I'm sorry."

Not good...her emotional state was deteriorating and with it, the control over her magic. It sparked along her skin like blue electricity, but not once did it hurt him. He needed to calm her but how? What would she possibly react to?

It was then that he finally took note of what was around her throat, a silver chain with a Tardis pendant. Wait...what? How did he know that? Something in the very back of his mind shook loose and a single word came to the forefront and he spoke it before he could catch himself.

"Petrichor." He said his mouth snapping shut afterwards.

He was shocked when her body started to relax, her magic fading, and her expression shifting. She turned to look at him, her blue eyes shimmering with tears but there was a smile beginning to form on her lips..._a sad one...lonely...lost_.

"The smell of dust after the rain." She whispered further shocking him when she stopped trying to hide her body from him, "I don't know how you knew...but I'm glad that you do."

The ginger's hands reached for him and they glided around him so that she was loosely hugging him. What the hell? He was so confused. He looked into her eyes and there was a sharp crack of pain that lanced straight through his body. Her eyes...they were so empty, so lifeless...like nothing mattered anymore.

He wanted to ask...ask why she looked so dead inside, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The longer her eyes stayed like that, the more pain he experienced. _Please….stop looking like that._ It was killing him...that look...it was how he felt for decades, but its different now. She made him feel, made him yearn for life, made him feel emotions that he never thought he could feel again and some of them were for the first time.

The dark haired captain had to do something! She was nothing more than a lifeless shell right now! He needed to make her feel again...but how? He internally winced as his brain gave him the answer. He had hoped to do it while she was in a haze of pleasure, but at this point, it was the only thing he could do because he didn't know very much about her to reach her in any other way.

He leaned down again to give her a soft kiss and whispered an apology against her lips. She didn't even blink or acknowledge him at all.

_What happened to you, love? Who or what destroyed you so completely that the only way you can cope is to shut everything off? I'm sorry, love, truly I am, but I have to save you. Maybe one day, you'll forgive me for this._

The Captain pushed her legs apart gently and positioned himself in front of her entrance. With one thrust and a great deal of force behind it, he brutally ripped through her barrier...her entire body locked up and she involuntarily bit down near the juncture of his neck and shoulder, making him wince in pain.

She was clamped down so hard that it actually made it difficult to pull out even slightly, but then he felt the tears on his skin followed by a whine of immense pain coming from her throat. He was well aware that he was too large for a virgin and he hadn't done anything to lessen the pain.

He had no lubricant, nothing to ease his entrance into her. He had forcibly broken through her virginity in one of the roughest and most painful ways possible, but it was the only way that he could reach her while she was in that hollow state. He whispered yet another apology, this time into her ear, before he pulled almost completely out, only to shove it back in as roughly as he could.

Her mouth detached from his neck, pain shooting along his neck and shoulder. He had to keep going...but he bloody hated himself for doing this to her. He was not gentle or kind as he repeatedly slammed into her, burying his face into her hair so she wouldn't see his tears. Every thrust made her cry out in pain, each time piercing his heart deeper and deeper.

He could feel her fighting with her surging emotions and actively trying not to sob, but failing miserably. When she said that she was sorry, he stopped moving, eliciting a gasp of relief from the woman. Her breathing was labored and quick, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.

"What happened to you?" He breathed unable to stop himself.

One hand wrapped around his middle and the other threaded into his hair, gently massaging the scalp and damn it, he was relaxing again.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know, Killian. I just know that it was bad and I think...i feel..._alone_...like whatever happened..._it took everything from me_." She answered starting to cry again, "Can we not talk about this right now?"

"What do you want to do, love?" He asked more than willing to do whatever it took to make her stop crying.

The red head took a long, deep breath, releasing it slowly and allowing the tension in her body to ease away. Once her body was fully relaxed, she started moving and he gasped. Seriously? After what he just did...she still wanted to have sex with him?! Hell...he was surprised that she didn't yell at him to get the hell away from her.

"Love...its okay...you don't...you don't…" He trailed off as she used her legs to make him pump deeper and harder.

She paused long enough to pull up his head so that she could look at him, his eyes once again his normal oceanic blue. Her eyes narrowed and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Shut up and fuck me, Killian Jones...or I will use my magic and _make_ you do it. Your choice...whats it gonna be? Either way, we are going to shag like a pair of Nubbins." She ordered her tone leaving no room for argument.

He tried to respond verbally, mainly to ask what the hell Nubbins were but she silenced him with her mouth, exploring his like he had with hers. Shit...he was caving, the little minx doing everything she could to make him do what she wanted, and a few minutes later, he was practically assaulting her. The bloody wench was driving him crazy!

She had him all tied up in knots, a willing slave to her every desire and quite frankly, he was the one feeling used for a change. The ferocity and determination of his goddess was unparalleled and his mind was in a fog of pleasure so intense that the world disappeared. There was only him and her...thats it.

He focused his entire being into pleasing his goddess of the Sea. Nothing else mattered. The world could end for all he cared, so long as it didnt interrupt him from worshipping her. This amazingly kind woman that had been shattered by some terrible event that she couldn't remember...she was so strong, so much stronger than he could ever be.

To endure so much and be given little if nothing in return and yet she still cared. She lived each day like it was its own adventure, bringing warmth and laughter wherever she went, touching every heart with her smile. By the stars, she truly was a goddess and so he worshipped her like one, _worshipped the woman that has utterly defeated him_.

_What happened the Crimson Savior? Was it connected to the way she had been treated in Storybrooke? The mystery has deepened and the pirate making love to his goddess is going to discover that things are not as they should be, forcing him to make a choice...to be her captain or to be her shield._


	15. Chapter 15: Parting Gifts

**Chapter 15: Parting Gifts**

The pirate captain was completely enraptured by the Crimson Savior, lost in a haze of pleasure. She was a virgin but she was a virgin that knew what she wanted. As a result, he was having the best sex of his life...well after that..._moment_. In fact, it actually took him about twenty minutes to realize that he was holding onto her..._with two hands_.

He actually stopped moving, eliciting a whine of protest from the ginger haired goddess. He couldn't help it...it had been such a long time since he had both hands. He stared at the new appendage in plain shock. How...when...what? His brain was so jumbled that he couldn't think properly.

That's when he noticed it...her eyes were glowing with a soft blue light from within, swirling with sparkles...like _stardust_. It was her...she had done this. She had restored what he had so foolishly lost so long ago...even after what he had done to her. Did she even realize that she had used her magic at all? Judging by the look on her face...that would be a no.

"Thank you, love. I'll put it to use immediately." He stated smirking and she blinked, clearly confused.

He pushed himself fully into her, making her gasp at the sudden motion, so he could balance out long enough to show her both hands at once and her jaw fell open in shock, tears beginning to fall again. He yanked her to him and kissed her deeply, his lovely goddess grunting at the change of position and the spike of pleasure that accompanied it.

He wasted no time in utilizing his newly acquired hand and started slamming harder into her sex, such delicious sounds erupting from her mouth. He pushed himself to his absolute limit. He made her climax dozens of times and he actually came four times before his member grew soft, but she wasn't done with him.

It did not take long for him to get hard again, the ginger using her hands and mouth to explore his body...such a curious little thing she was. He switched positions so that he was dominant, fulfilling her earlier request and showing her just how rough he could be but without the intense pain from before; however, it only seemed to reenergize her and he was having a tough time keeping up the pace and intensity.

By the stars...this woman was impossible. The rougher he was, the more wild she became, pleading for more. The gentler he was, the more she complained and true to her word, she used her magic to make him pick up the pace several times. It had already been several hours… at least three maybe four… and he was fucking exhausted, pun intended, but he had to keep going… he had to atone for his earlier actions but he was definitely reaching his limit… then he found it… _his salvation_.

That perfect spot that had her screaming in pure ecstasy and he made certain to keep hitting that spot and roughly too. Her final climax was so powerful that he actually came twice back to back, the second time as a result of her yelling out his name in utter bliss, and he passed out while still inside of her.

When he awoke later, he discovered that his lover was softly glowing with an electric blue light. She was sound asleep tucked perfectly against him, a content smile on her lips. She was beautiful...and she was shining...and he stared at the sight of her, realizing what she was to him at this very moment.

_A star that shined only for him._

He could barely breathe, his emotions sky rocketing to a level he had previously thought himself incapable of and a fierce wave of possessiveness washed over him, along with the desire to protect his lover… _His Star...His Guiding Star...his..._he finally had his very own star and that thought alone nearly made him cry from happiness …but then reality came crashing back in, along with a large helping of guilt and trepidation.

He remembered that blasted witch, Kora, the one pulling his strings and making him dance. He had to keep that heartless bitch away from the crimson haired savior at all costs. He would not allow anyone to take what was his and he had the distinct impression that his star would rip someone to pieces if they tried to separate them… but he did need to leave.

He needed to meet Kora before sundown… otherwise she would come looking for him. If she found him like this… she would kill his star and she would make him watch as she crushed his lover's heart. His mind was made up. He had to protect her, protect whatever it was that they shared… he would not let her go… he almost laughed because his brother's wish had come true… he found the star that he had spent a lifetime searching for.

He did take a few moments to clean and redress his star though. Last thing she needed was for some random man or men to find her naked in the woods. She was so exhausted that she didn't even notice but she did notice when he was no longer in reach of her and she started crying in her sleep.

Her tears were nearly his undoing. He didn't want to leave her, given the choice, he wouldn't...but he had to. He pulled a small metal flute from his inner left pocket and placed it in her hands. Her fingers curled around the flute and she clutched it to her chest. He brushed his fingers through her crimson locks, marveling at how soft they were.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, completely oblivious to the slight pulse of magic that had occurred at the same time. He then picked up his satchel and rearranged his left hand so that it curled into the mount for his hook. It would raise far too many questions if he suddenly had two hands.

He made certain that the unsoiled bits of the cloak were laid across her. He was sorely regretting leaving his coat on the Jolly Roger. When night fell, it was going to get quite chilly and he didn't want her to get sick. He wanted to keep his radiant star around for a very long time...forever if he could.

With one final look, he turned and left, every step he took felt like he was gaining more and more weight. He barely made it to the rendezvous point in time. The moment he saw that vile creature...oh he wished she still had her heart because he would not hesitate to use the enchantment on his hook to rip it out and crush it.

Kora had collected the ashes of the wardrobe used to send Snow's daughter to a world without magic… but it wasn't enough. In order for her to get to Storybrooke, she still needed the compass, but before that… she paid a visit to the encampment, ripping out and crushing every person's heart along the way.

He nearly screamed when the damn bitch ripped out Rem's heart...the Celtic woman simply smiled at him, the scream getting stuck in his throat, and then the light died in her eyes, her heart turning to dust in the witch's hand. He looked away from the now dead body of his friend. He would make damn certain that his lover didn't suffer the same fate.

His luck turned for the better when he realized that his goddess wasn't in the encampment and once he was sure that Kora was gone, he made his way back to where he had left his sleeping lover...only to find her gone.

The cloak was still there but the crimson haired savior wasn't. Where could she have gone? He looked back towards the encampment and his blood ran cold. What if she was in the encampment and he simply didn't see her? A terror unlike anything he had ever felt before gripped his heart...it was so powerful that said heart almost stopped, his heartbeat sputtering sporadically unable to find a steady rhythm.

_The dark clad pirate had finally found the star he had been searching for his entire life and now it was gone. The Captain knew that without his goddess to guide him, he would simply drift through the sea of time until death finally claimed him. Such strong feelings...he would ask why but he honestly didnt care anymore._


	16. Chapter 16: Sorrowful Harmony

**Chapter 16: Sorrowful Harmony**

The Captain of the Jolly Roger raced back into the camp, his eyes darting all over the place. The longer he searched, the more terrified he became. _No...he couldn't lose her...not now. She was his star, his precious celestial goddess. _

He tore through the encampment, searching every tent and checking every corpse… she wasnt there. Was she taken? He had left her alone in the middle of the woods with no protection, out cold from exhaustion. _She was gone...his star was gone_.

It was too much for his mind and heart to handle so he ran and he kept on running. He slowed down when he almost tripped over a raised tree root, catching his breath while leaning against said tree. He could feel the tears coming along with the torrential storm of emotion just behind them.

His legs gave out and he slid down to the ground. He just leaned against the tree and let the tears come, his mind going numb as his heart screamed. His heart was tearing itself apart, his soul crying out. The pain, the sorrow, the grief and despair...never before had his emotions run so deeply, the intensity a thousand times stronger than anything he had felt before.

Worse still was the fact that these emotions did not feel unfamiliar to him...like he had felt them again and again and again. He was breaking apart, every fiber of his being felt like it was being ripped to shreds. He couldn't find any traction, no way to stabilize himself or anchor him long enough to regain control.

The wind blew through the trees and with it a melody. It was so quiet, a whisper in the breeze, but the barely audible notes faded away like a dream. Killian slowly rose to his feet, unsure of why he was moving at all. He pushed off the tree and walked through the forest, his eyes blank but blacker than the night sky. Why...why did he bother...but when the wind blew through the trees once again, he heard the melody again..._so familiar_.

It was barely audible but it had his heart pumping faster, his mind becoming alert. His feet began to move a bit faster...the wind came again and he broke out into a run. _It was a flute...his flute...he was sure of it….the very same flute he had left in his lover's possession_.

Hope and panic flooded his body, each emotion fighting for dominance. Why… because the melody kept starting and stopping, making it quite difficult to locate the origin. He hissed in pain as he lost his footing and he was sent rolling down a small hill but that did not deter him and he was back on his feet.

He was getting closer. It was definitely his flute, he could tell from the tones of each note...the way they resonated told him the rough shape and size of the instrument being played, said instrument matching the dimensions of the small flute he always carried with him.

With each new snippet of notes, questions began to form in his mind. Why did the melody sound so familiar? Where did he even get that flute? How did he come to possess it, let alone know how to play it? All thoughts ceased when he finally found the melody's origin.

Sitting on a rock by a small stream was the crimson haired savior, Artz Lanaria. She had his flute in her hands and she was trying to get her fingers to work. Now he understood why the music was so intermittent… her fingers had gotten too cold and most likely cramped up, given how she was blowing on her hands and then rubbing them together.

His heart flooded with relief, along with several other very powerful emotions. It nearly robbed him of his strength to stand, barely catching himself from falling to the ground again. _She was here...she was alive ...his star had survived...he didn't care how because his goddess was alive._

He approached her as quietly as he could, not wanting to startle her. Those with the gift of magic were hard enough to contend with on a normal basis but when they didn't have any clue how to control it...sudden surprises usually made their magic react harshly as an immediate defense. The only times she seemed able to control it at all was when she was using it on him...yet another unanswered question.

He paused when she started playing again. It was a soft melody...sweet yet somehow sad...it took a few more notes but he finally understood why it had been so familiar to him. It was a melody that he hadn't played in such a long time. Losing a hand made it difficult to play an instrument effectively.

He recalled the memory of that melody. It had been at the day's end, the light from the setting sun casting the sea in an orange light. His lover at the time, Milah, was sitting on the ledge at the back of the ship, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon.

He sat down on the ledge directly in front of her and she smiled warmly at him. He pulled out the flute, informing her that he had spent a great deal of time practicing, and then started playing that sweet yet sorrowful melody. Twilight fell and the first stars began to appear as the song reached its end.

He frowned slightly...Milah's eyes were an earthy brown but the Milah looking at him within that memory had dark sapphire eyes. _What_? He blinked rapidly as a brief spike of pain ricocheted throughout his brain. It felt like he had touched something he wasn't supposed to and it had some rather jarring consequences.

The pain faded as quickly as it had come and the ocean eyed man had to wonder what the hell had just happened. That was the first time that something within his memories actually felt true...but why would her eyes be blue? The more he tried to think about it, the fuzzier his head became and for a moment, he just stood there, his eyes going blank but his mind was still active...technically.

All of his senses were still working but it was like his brain just halted. He blinked as his thoughts returned to him. That… was… _unsettling_, but that little occurrence would soon be forgotten. He resumed his slow but quiet progression towards his radiant star...the goddess of the Sea that had sent him into a raging maelstrom of emotion and sheer panic.

_To lose is to gain and to gain is to lose. The more time flows, the more memories fade away, but in time, new memories are made. Memories are precious yet bound in the chains of time. Remove the chain but count the cost. So much to gain but more is lost. What is truth, what is lies? From themselves, they cannot hide._


	17. Chapter 17: Once Upon A Time

**Chapter 17: Once Upon A Time**

He really should have seen it coming. Why because he swore the woman was a bloody mind reader. That eerily accurate perception of hers definitely made it difficult to get the drop on her and when she spoke, he was the one to be startled.

"Hello, Killian." She said softly.

He sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, momentarily forgetting that he was still wearing his hook. He thought for sure that she would be angry with him...just leaving her all alone in the middle of the woods while she slept...but instead she just leaned back into his chest, allowing him to fully embrace her.

"I'm…" he started only to stop.

What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to apologize? Was he supposed to tell her about what happened at the encampment not long ago? How was he supposed to tell her that he simply stood there and let Kora crush their friend's heart? Just how much did she know of him and his involvement with Kora?

"She has the ashes now which means that she needs the compass next. We'll head out to get it once Emma and the others come back." She commented blindsiding him.

"How?" He questioned.

How did she know? About the ashes? About the compass? Was she some kind of seeress? He didn't understand but apparently she was reading his mind again...because she answered all his questions.

"You're wondering how I know, right?" She asked and he nodded, "I'll tell you though you'll probably not believe me. Nobody has thus far."

"I'll believe anything you tell me, love. Why...because you've been nothing but honest with me. You're unable to lie convincingly enough so you just go with blunt honesty and hope for the best." He commented trying to forget what happened to the girl he had saved so long ago, only for her to be killed.

"I can lie...but only if my eyes are hidden or covered. I know how expressive my eyes are." She stated quietly, snuggling into him, "Would you really believe me, Killian?"

He looked down at her and he could see just how vulnerable she was. She wasn't even looking at him and he could tell that she was genuinely frightened. She didn't want to lose him or for him to treat her the same way the blonde and brunette did.

"Yes, love. You could tell me the sky was orange and the grass was red and I would believe you...because you see the world differently. Who am I to argue?" He answered using a lighter tone to put her at ease and to calm himself.

"Even if I said that i came from a world where all of this; you, Kora, Emma and all the others...were nothing more than characters in a story? That the events that have happened and are happening...is the plotline for an episodic series of stories called Once Upon A Time?" She questioned her eyes squeezed shut as she turned to hide her face against his chest.

That...actually made a lot of sense. It would explain how she knew things that only others had been privy to, how she knew him and the kind of person he was, and it explained why those two women said such terrible things about her.

"I can't imagine how heavy that burden is...to know a possible future...to try and help, only for you to be shunned and treated like the enemy...to carry that knowledge all on your own." He began using his uncovered hand to rub her arm in a soothing manner.

Her head popped up to look at him and she was crying, tears steadily flowing down her cheeks. Her eyes filled with shock, disbelief...and hope. He smiled softly at her, letting his eyes convey his sincerity.

"Please don't look at me like that." She pleaded.

"Why?" He asked wondering what was wrong.

"I have very differing opinions of certain individuals in direct relation to your life and I know things...very personal things about you." She explained her body starting to tremble and her tears falling harder.

He removed his hand from the mount so that he could use both hands to wipe away her tears. He wanted to reassure her that no matter what happens that he would always listen and that he would always believe because if he didn't...then who would?

"So tell me and I will listen." He stated firmly.

"You'll get mad at me." She replied looking more scared than before.

"You need to tell me, love. I don't want any secrets between us...except for the whole future plotline thing. By all means, keep me in the dark. Ignorance is bliss and all that." He countered eliciting a watery chuckle from his star.

His mind pulled up the image of the muddy little girl followed by the woman that she had become...the life fading from her eyes. He was a bloody hypocrit.

"I supposed I should start off with something easy...like the original name of the Jolly Roger was The Jewel of the Realm." She started and he nodded, "You had a brother named Liam and he was the captain of the ship before…"

She cut off, her body going rigid...staring at him like a bird caught in the gaze of a snake. Was she terrified of everything she knew or was she terrified of how he'll react? Probably both.

"Before he died of dreamshade poisoning. It's alright, love. I'm sturdier than you give me credit for. Just speak your mind. I will listen...because no else will. Plus...i want to know what you're thinking...for instance, can you read minds?" He replied earning a snort of amusement at his question.

"I would say it was obvious but the truth is… I've been through this so many times...especially in the last couple of days. It's not hard to guess." She said her expression shifting to intense loneliness.

He tilted her chin up, causing her to become confused and he kissed her. He kept it as gentle as he could, showing some great restraint on his part. One kiss and he was ready to ravish her again, wanting to make them both forget about everything else. When he backed away, she had a smile on her face...it was small but her eyes said it all...hope and a whole lot of it. She took the kiss as a sign to keep going.

"You and your brother were sent on a mission to retrieve a mystical plant that was supposed to have miraculous healing properties, but was actually one of the deadliest poisons in creation and can only be cured by drinking from a spring in Neverland.

However, if that person leaves Neverland then the curing effect of the water is neutralized and the dreamshade kills them within minutes. That's what happened to Liam...he believed so much that he tried it on himself...and that son of a bitch, Peter Pan, neglected to mention the cost of the water...bastard...in more than one way." She rattled off stunning him with how accurate she was.

He tried to not let it show, but he was feeling a bit sensitive at the moment, his heart already in chaos, so he decided to pursue the obvious segway...for his own sanity.

"More than one way?" He echoed hoping she didn't hear the slight shift in the pitch of his voice.

"This is where shit gets fucked up and badly too. I'm gonna try to get through it as quickly as possible and do not lose your temper!" She ordered giving him a stern look and he simply nodded, "keep all questions, comments, and outbursts for after, okay...otherwise This will take forever. Okay, here we go.

Peter Pan is the father of Rumplestiltskin. His mother is the Black Fairy and when he was born, she used the Shears of Destiny to cut away Rumple's destiny and that destiny was to be the Savior."

He opened his mouth to say something, his brain going berserk after a single paragraph but she placed her hand over his mouth.

"Seriously...let me finish because if I don't get this all out now...im not going to." She requested and after a moment he nodded though he really wanted to ask questions,

"Rumple's mother is the creator of the Dark Curse, the very same curse that created Storybrooke. She is the reason why there has been so much pain, so much suffering and all because she had cut away her son's purpose in life. Without his destiny to guide him, he was left at the mercy of fate...which was not kind."

The longer she talked, the more pieces that fell into place. Honestly, everything she was saying...it made it all so clear. He was shocked however with how passionately she defended Rumple, explaining just how devastating it was for him to lose his destiny, his mother, his godmother, his father, then his wife, then his son, then the woman that befriended him, Belle.

She explained Rumple's primary motivation for everything he did, both good and evil...and all for his son, Baelfire. Rumple loved his son so much that he broke his own leg, endured the hatred of his wife, the brutality of the village...it was why he didn't fight back when the captain had challenged him to a duel with Milah as the prize.

Rumple could not allow his son to lose both of his parents, and so he became the ultimate coward...and all for his son. He became the Dark One out of fear of losing his son. She explained what the Dark One truly was and the constant struggle Rumple endured every moment just to stay in control of his own body.

_Killian Jones had opened the flood gates and his ginger goddess was making his head spin with all the knowledge contained within her mind, but he was about to discover that things were not as they should be. The question is why?_


	18. Chapter 18: Unwritten

**Chapter 18: Unwritten**

Oh...then she moved on to her opinion of Milah...and she became very venomous and after listening to her observations, the way she viewed the situation...she was right. Milah, his so called first love, had simply been using him and he gave her so much power over him. He had been so foolish...naive...she never wanted him.

No, she loved the _idea_ of him...the handsome pirate captain that would sweep her away for a life of adventure. She never loved him at all...and for some reason, it made him happy. Why the hell would he be happy that his love didn't actually love him?

He glanced down at his right arm, remembering a rather annoying tattoo he had gotten after Milah had died.

"Love…" he started pausing a moment.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked with her head bowed and she looked like she was waiting for him to beat the crap out of her.

"Actually I'm angry with myself." He answered and her head popped up again in utter shock, "Don't suppose you could use your magic to remove this by any chance?"

He gestured to the tattoo on his right wrist with Milah's name. He wanted to be rid of it and he would prefer her magic over literally burning it off and he most certainly would.

"I don't know. Are you sure? I mean...you loved her, right?" She questioned stumbling a bit over her words.

"To be perfectly honest...i don't think i did. For so long, I've been trying to figure out...what could i have possibly seen in someone like her? When Rumple crushed her heart, i was relieved and then it was like a tidal wave and I reacted so harshly…" He stopped trying to find the words to explain it, "Artz…"

"That's the first time you've said my name." She commented looking like he had just given her the greatest gift in the world.

"Artz…" he started and he loved just how brightly her eyes shined with awe and wonder, "What i feel for you is so much deeper than what i had with that traitorous bitch. When I first saw you...mind you, you were unconscious at the time, but it didn't stop me from worrying about you.

And when you came out of the tent and I got a good look at you...i thought you were goddess. Still do actually and yes, I'm biased. Deal with it because there is nothing you can say or do that will make me think otherwise."

Her mouth snapped shut and looked completely floored by his words, but he needed her to know just how he viewed her, how she made him feel...she had him twisted up in knots right from the start and even now, having sated his lust, he still wanted her...every part of her.

He wanted her heart and if she wanted, he would give her his heart in return. That feeling, that need to claim her; mind, body, heart, and soul...it was so strong. It was impossible… he didn't believe in love at first sight yet he had barely been able to leave her.

He was drawn to her on so many levels and in so many ways. The intensity of his desire, the burning need to make her his, all the emotions she was dragging out of him, never wanting to leave her side, the sheer terror of losing her and the relief so powerful that he nearly buckled...why?

It didnt make sense...all of it but he couldn't stop it. Every part of him yearning for his star and the uncontrollable desperation he was feeling just trying to convince her that what he felt for her was real, genuine, and true.

"Watching you throughout the day… all I could do was stare. You were so thoughtful and kind, a bit bashful, easily flustered by the smallest of compliments… and i cannot begin to tell you just how pissed off i am at the other two… the bitchy blonde and her brat of a mother.

They kept saying how you weren't a savior, that you knew too much and couldn't be trusted, how they had to be more cautious now that they knew you had magic...Mulan almost cut Snow's head off in retaliation and Aurora looked like she was gonna slap someone.

Philip wisely stayed out of it...though he did not look happy either. At the time, I could not believe what they were saying and then after watching you, I wanted to kill them...then after...how did you describe it...shagging like a pair of Nubbins…" he paused when she erupted into giggles.

"Sorry...i'll explain the Nubbins thing later and you'll understand why I'm laughing." She explained her cheeks becoming rosy.

By the stars...so beautiful. Everything about her just struck him as attractive, gorgeous, sexy and alluring, yet so incredibly pure, sweet, and innocent. How does this woman possibly exist? She was literally a walking contradiction and he loved it...so different, so unique..._one of a kind_.

Her blush deepened and he realized that he was staring at her, but he couldn't help it. He watched her eyes...this close up, her irises were actually solid like a liquid blue. They were glowing with a light from within...just a little and it utterly entranced him...but he did finally find his voice again.

"The point is, Artz, you mean more to me than Milah ever did and I've only known you a day. I don't want to leave you...at all...because you're my star. You were literally shining...just for me. I don't know what it is i am feeling. I just know that its strong, stronger than anything I've ever felt before and it feels so familiar...almost like…like we..." he started but stopped, his mind trying desperately to understand.

"Like we have met before." She finished and he looked down at her.

Those five words changed everything for him because he knew..._they were true_. It explained everything that he was feeling, the intensity of it all...that was it, the why he had been searching for. They had met before...no, more than that. They had been together a long time...long enough to develop such a strong attachment to each other.

"Bloody hell…" he started only to trail off at just how astonishing this whole thing was.

He brought up his earliest memories of his relationship with Milah and replaced her with the beautiful visage of his star...his heart stuttered, skipping a few beats. More and more of his memories with Artz instead of Milah...his reactions during those times, they lined up perfectly.

But why? Why was Milah there instead of his star? Something happened, something pretty damn devastating...it tore them apart, ripped their memories to shreds and then stitched them back together… _something destroyed them, raped their minds, tampered with their memories, toyed with their emotions...__**their story was unwritten**_.

_The Captain now had an answer, but now so many more questions have appeared. The world is broken, a novel with empty pages, a mystery enshrouded by deceit, yet something was still missing but what could it be?_


	19. Chapter 19: The Inner Light

**Chapter 19: The Inner Light**

Killian was drawn back to reality by the soft glow coming from his lover's hands, positioned over the tattoo and when the glow faded the tattoo on his wrist was gone but a new one had appeared on the back of his hand...and his breath caught in his throat.

_The trident within the prism._

"Whoops. Sorry. I got a little side tracked by Poseidon...one of the versions of you that I created for my stories...the other being Hook. Do you mind? I think it suits you. I can…" She rambled only to be cut off by him, kissing her passionately, "You know...I could really get used to that."

Which resulted in another kiss, this one far less fiery and more tender. His heart was thudding so hard like a dozen horses at a full gallop. _Poseidon_..._the mark of the trident..._his _mark_, but what about the other one..._Hook...the silver hook within the prism_?

His brain felt like it was imploding; between everything she had said and that cryptic cat creature..._mind blown_...and then the events from earlier came flooding in. As much as he wanted to avoid the subject...he needed to tell her about what happened; Kora, the encampment, Rem...what he did...or rather what he _didnt_ do.

He kissed her once more, softly and tenderly...trying desperately to steel himself for what he was about to say. He could only pray that she wouldn't leave him...because now that she was with him, he couldn't imagine living his life without her by his side.

"Artz, love...theres something i need to tell you." He started finally gathering up his courage, his body tensed with apprehension and fear.

Killian watched as those lovely sapphires shifted almost completely to a dull silver, the barest hint of blue remaining and the amount of pain and emotion in their depths...like a knife through his heart, through his very soul.

"I know. It's why i didn't go back. The screaming woke me up, even from that far away, and I had no idea where you were. I was afraid… I'm sorry… i wish I knew how to control this…" she replied revealing her shining hands, "I knew...I knew i was no match for her. I was a coward...and now they're dead...all of them...even Rem and Lily and Charlie...Monica, Lisa, Matthew, Sam, Edward...i know all their names; every man, woman, and child. I made certain to learn each of their stories...because I knew...I knew they were going to die and i did _nothing_."

His heart broke in a way that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to recover from. It made sense now...why she had been so persistent, talking to each one, getting to know them...even the children. She wanted them to be remembered so she scorched them into her memory, stabbing her heart again and again with every person she spoke to.

She branded her very soul for them because it was the only thing that she was able to do without committing suicide via the heartless witch in a vain attempt to save someone. That was true bravery, the truest form of courage there was...purer than Rumple's courage but still no less heroic.

To have that kind of determination and resolve, to willingly destroy yourself just so that they would be remembered...that they would live on within her, becoming the force that would push her forward … just so that no one else had to suffer like she did, to be murdered like they were.

Tears began to form in his eyes...this woman, _this amazing and wonderful woman_...there were no words to describe his emotions. They ran so deep, straight into the darkness and for a brief moment, it felt like two people were inhabiting his body.

All fell short of her...he was the one that fell short. He was not worthy of this woman at all and looking at her now...tears streaming down her face as she stared down at her glowing hands, blaming herself for their deaths and the shame of her supposed cowardice..._he would never be worthy of her_.

Her body was shaking so badly. It was rather difficult to hold on to her. She was practically hemmoraging from the intensity of her deeper emotions and at the rate she was going...she was going to explode.

He tilted her head up and she looked up at him, her tear stained face breaking his heart all over again. This wasnt her fault. Just because she knew a possible future didnt mean that she was responsible for it occurring. There was no shame in wanting to live and she at least did _something_.

She saved them in her mind, her heart, engraving them into her soul, but he had just stood there, watching as the witch killed every single man, woman, and child..._Rem_. Sweet lord...little Maria...he let her die, he did nothing to save her...and _she smiled at him_...she didn't hate him but he sure as hell hated himself.

"You're not a coward, love. In this case, you did the right thing...even though it wasn't easy. I would call myself the coward but I don't want to be slapped again. It doesn't change the fact that I just stood there, unmoving...watching as she killed them all. Rem...the little girl I had once saved...i just stood there...i did nothing to save her.

_She smiled_...she actually smiled at me. She didn't hate me or blame me. She was happy i was there...like I was still her favorite person in the world. I couldn't even scream because then Kora would know that I cared...that I cared...for Rem.

I know that heartless bitch..._love is weakness_...that is what she always says, but in that moment, I realized...i realized that she was wrong...because I loved that little girl back in Neverland and I got to see her again...all grown up. A little hellion for sure, but so strong...it made me proud when i realized that it was her.

I saw the light in her eyes...i saw it fade away...the dust from her crushed heart blowing away in the wind. She fell to the ground and i wished...i wished that it wasn't real...just another ruse...that she would just roll over and say that makes twice now, ya bloody idiot...but she didn't.

She was gone and I couldn't linger. I just wanted to close her eyes, but I couldn't even do that because of that blasted witch. I trailed after her, praying that you didn't return to the camp while I was gone. I was relieved when i didn't see you anywhere and I waited for the _Queen of Hearts_ to leave.

When I was certain that fucking bitch was gone, I went back to where I had left you and you weren't there...i was terrified… for a moment I thought...i thought..." He told her, reaching down to let his fingers graze the little flute he had left with her,

"I heard it...the flute. I thought I was hallucinating, wanting so badly for you to be okay… that I hadn't gotten you killed… that I hadn't let you die like Rem. Then I heard it again… I have never run so fast in my life...my heart nearly stopping every time the music suddenly stopped… then… then I saw you. I almost fell...the relief of seeing you alive, trying to warm up your hands just so you could play."

He closed his eyes, full on crying because his emotions were running so high and so deep. He reopened his eyes when she used her sleeve to wipe away his tears, understanding exactly how he was feeling and like Rem, she didn't hate him.

He gazed into her eyes, marveling at just how compassionate and kind they were. Did she really not hate him or blame him? She cupped his cheek and he immediately leaned into her touch, his hand coming up to cover hers.

He took a chance and turned to kiss her wrist, her eyes filling with tears again. Her expression softened as she smiled at him, her shimmering sapphires so warm and not a single trace of hate or doubt or even fear. That meant more to him than he could ever hope to express in a lifetime and he knew that no matter what..._he was not leaving her side ever again_._..Kora be damned._

He flinched slightly when she removed her hand from his grasp but then realized why. She held out the flute to him, it resting within both of her hands. Her eyes lingered on the small instrument, her eyes seemingly far away.

"It's strange. This flute is exactly like the one that Picard had. That particular episode was called The Inner Light...it was the song I was playing...Killian," She looks up at him, "I don't know how to play the flute...but I could play this one like I had done it for years. Do you think...that maybe…"

"That maybe you gave it to me? I do know how to play the flute, love. It was probably me that taught you how to play but it would also explain how i knew the song. I played it for...it was years ago. How could I know a song from your land and how did you know how to play this particular flute...we've met before...i'm sure of it. There is no other way to explain it." He agreed wrapping his arms around her and clinging to her with a desperate hope that this theory was the truth.

"If it's true...then what happened to us? Why can't we remember? How did we get separated because I would not have left willingly? How did I end up in Storybrooke? How do I have magic? Was I born with it? Was it given to me?" She paused before getting a sour look on her face, "Why was I still a virgin if i spent any length of time with you because I'm pretty certain that i would have jumped your bones at some point?"

This startled a laugh out of Killian though it was a fair point. With how strongly he felt for her... she should not have been a virgin and yet she was. There were so many questions and not enough answers.

"I dont know but we're going to figure it out...together." He stated cupping her cheek with his left hand...he really loved that hand.

"Do you still want revenge?" She asked covering his hand with her own.

"Given everything that you've told me… the only thing I'm certain about...is you. I want to stay with you. Wherever you go, i will always follow. If your path crosses with the Crocodile...well we'll deal with it then." He answered honestly.

The truth was that all he wanted was her, but he knew that she would not accept that as an answer. They had known each other for less than a day, yet it felt like they had known each other for years. He trusted her, he believed her, and he didn't want revenge.

There was no point now...now that he had his star...she was the only thing he wanted and needed, but he knew that despite them being lovers, he still needed to take things slowly on the emotional front. She had endured a great deal of pain before coming here, before meeting him. He needed to heal her heart first before he could claim it forever.

"You promise?" She whispered so much hope in those beautiful blue orbs.

"I give you my word, Artz Lanaria." He stated firmly and without any doubt or uncertainty.

She smiled widely, her body beginning to glow in that same electric blue light as before, and then she climbed fully into his lap and kissed him. Looks like it was time for round two...so much for sleep.

_The pirate captain should have paid more attention to what her magic was doing… because she was Artz Lanaria, the woman that does the impossible...nothing was stronger than his star's heart, a fact that would become astoundingly apparent very soon._


	20. Chapter 20: The Castaway

**Chapter 20: The Castaway**

The woman with long flowing blonde hair trudged along after their little ragtag group. Their encounter with Kora had been a real shit storm. They had been lucky to make it out of there alive.

Near death situations aside, the blonde savior was trying desperately to figure out what was going on. Sometime yesterday, around maybe five or six o'clock, Emma felt something shift inside her...like some kind invisible weight had been taken off of her.

It's around that same time that the blonde had realized what they had done. They had left an injured Artz in the hands of strangers and with her being out cold...so many things kept popping up in the blondes mind, each time...it was always something worse...she was getting all worked up and probably over nothing… _right_?

For the entire time she had been in Storybrooke, she had never trusted the red head...everything about her just seemed..._wrong_. She kept Artz at a distance especially when more and more of what she had said was actually correct.

She would admit that it was unsettling at first but over time, she had come to rely on her...a moral compass of sorts. The ginger didn't mind and often acted as a sounding board when she just needed to let off some steam.

She honestly believed that they were friends, despite the secrets on both sides...but when she broke the Curse to save Henry...whatever lingering feelings of friendship disappeared in an instant. She could barely stand to be around the woman.

They were arguing all the time and then Artz exploded, telling her everything she had wanted to know and so much more. Everything she said had sounded insane yet Emma actually believed her but for some reason, she kept treating the Crimson haired woman as a threat...as the enemy.

When the ginger chose to protect the Evil Queen and Mayor of Storybrooke, Regina Mills...the whole town turned on her; calling her a traitor, a monster, and that she deserved to die along side the Queen. Fortunately, David had been able to quiet things down and both he and Graham had escorted Regina and Artz to the police station, placing them in a cell together.

Was the not so evil queen thankful for her help...nope, not in the slightest. She was still pretty ticked off at the ginger, blaming her for why Graham had dumped her. Even now, she still despised the woman. When Gold summoned that creature to kill Regina, Artz protected her and they eventually came up with the plan to force the creature into a magical portal.

Once that portal was open, the Crimson haired woman had jumped in immediately, there had been no hesitation...not a single shred of doubt. She and Snow were sucked in afterwords and then taken prisoner. Why because apparently Artz had saved a prince from being killed...with light magic and as a result, people started calling her the savior instead of the blonde.

She didn't understand why that bothered her so much. She had spent almost a year railing against the whole _savior_ thing and when it was finally given to someone else...she had gotten incredibly pissed off. The fact that it was Artz that now possessed the title of the savior just made her blood boil...Snow's too.

Snow White did not trust Artz Lanaria at all...especially as Mary Margaret before the Curse was broken. Most people in Storybrooke had often ignored Artz's presence altogether...like she wasnt important..._like she wasnt meant to exist_.

Emma, despite her conflicting feelings, had at least formed a tentative friendship with the red head...though her affiliation with Mr. Gold aka Rumplestiltskin did give her pause. Gold had treated the woman kindly, always acknowledging her presence, deliberately going out of his way to check up on her, always making certain that she was alright and asking if she needed anything.

Mr. Gold had always struck her as a manipulative bastard and that he cared only for himself and his desires, but then she noticed how he treated Artz. The first time she had seen them together, walking arm in arm, she had actually run up to them and told the pawnbroker to back off, to get away from the redhead.

The look he had given her that day...she still had nightmares about it. There had been so much fury in his eyes, but not a single trace of it in his expression or body language. She had realized later on that he had been controlling his reactions as to not cause the ginger any undue stress.

Gold genuinely cared for the Crimson haired woman. He was so kind to her, always chatting with her, making her smile and laugh, giving her little tokens or gifts, complimenting her and focused his complete attention on her before addressing anybody else.

To him, she always came first. This was extremely apparent every time he and Artz were amongst other people. When they ignored her and refused to acknowledge that she was even there, the pawnbroker either forcibly dragged her into the conversation by seeking her opinion or flat out ignoring everyone else and speaking only to her.

Observing the way they interacted with each other...it made Emma try to befriend the redhead, wanting to prove that she cared too but it always seemed to backfire; fighting, yelling, arguing...mainly on her side...and Artz simply smiling with her heart breaking in her eyes. Not once did she push the blonde away and by all rights she should have...should have given up on her almost straight away, but she never did...always constant, always there… _always kind_.

_The Savior had been freed from the force that had once filled her heart with hatred, but in gaining that freedom, she now resides in a state of confusion and reflection. Why...the ever elusive question? The answer...hidden yet broken._


	21. Chapter 21: Head Sea

**Chapter 21: Head Sea**

Artz spent the majority of her time with four people; Regina, Gold, Graham, and that blonde lady that owned the ice cream shop...Ingrid, yeah that was her name. That's it. She had no other contact with others with the exception of Emma. Even Henry refused to get anywhere near her...and coming from the kid that believed a story so much that he tracked down his birth mother to break a curse...that was saying a lot.

Regina treated Artz with such disdain like she was nothing more than a street urchin begging for scraps...and she lived with the damn woman! Emma didn't understand why Regina would allow Artz to live with her when clearly she wanted to be rid of her...dont say that to the Evil Queen though.

Before the Curse was broken, Mayor Mills practically crucified Dr. Hopper when he suggested that Artz move out...that it was in her son's best interests to remove the boy away from her influence. Never before had the blonde savior ever seen the mayor so angry. The amount of ice and venom in her voice and tone even had Emma on the defensive.

Mayor Mills was just so confusing. Her reactions swung wildly into two different directions. Regina hated the red head, despised her, and treated her like she was scum...hell lower than scum. Then when even the smallest thing dared to take the ginger away, Regina became hell itself to protect the red head and destroy whatever was trying to take her away...Doctor Hopper for example and he wasnt the last.

When Henry heard what Dr. Hopper had said...he asked why. Why would Artz need to leave? Regina had flat out stated that there wasnt a reason and left it at that, but Emma had decided to broach the subject with her son. Hearing Dr. Hopper's reasons for removing Artz from the mayor's home...he was in tears. He didn't want her to go and when she asked why he always ran away from the red head all the time...his answer made her cry.

He ran away so that he couldn't hurt her. That he had seen the ginger go to bed and cry herself to sleep again and again because everyone either ignored her or treated her like she was a disgusting, hideous creature. The truth was that her son loved the crimson haired woman very much and he wanted to be with her, but every time he tried, something inside him always seemed to flip over.

Henry tried to explain that he was having mixed feelings but that one set felt fake while the other felt real. That this was the reason why the ginger was treated so horribly by everyone, that they were experiencing the opposite of their true feelings. She hadnt believed him at the time but whatever happened yesterday afternoon had definitely swung her opinion.

She could feel that there was two sets of feelings inside herself. She hated Artz, she didn't trust her, was infuriated by her presence, and that she wanted the red head to simply disappear. Emma knew now that these feelings...such horrible emotions… they weren't real. They felt shallow and that they lacked any kind of substance. How had she not realized that sooner? It was clear as day now.

The second set of feelings which were making themselves more and more pronounced...they felt real, genuine, and true. Emma adored Artz; her quick wit and silver tongue, her sass and sarcasm, her kindness and her willingness to always listen. She genuinely cared for the ginger and loved being around her, that she was grateful to have someone like Artz in her life.

The blonde haired savior could feel the guilt and remorse growing inside of her. The way she had treated Artz was deplorable, almost inhumane...just shy of torture in her book. She had verbally berated the ginger so many times and every time...she watched her heart die a little more each day.

How...how could she have done all this? This wasnt even remotely like her true self. She never would have reacted so harshly. Yeah, she would want answers but after spending time with the redhead, she would have trusted the woman to tell her what she needed to know when she needed to know it, but instead...the opposite occurred, just like her son had told her back in Storybrooke.

She was always blaming her for when something bad happened because the red head always seemed to know what was going on before anybody else did. That was irritating, she would admit that, but in reality...she was just trying to help. This fact became apparent after the Curse was broken...and the Crimson haired woman had revealed that Graham was supposed to die, his heart being crushed by Regina after he had dumped her at the diner.

Artz had managed to find the Huntsman's heart and kept it safe until she could return it to him without the mayor getting in the way. Emma had actually tracked down Graham and asked if what Artz said was true and the look on his face said it all. Artz Lanaria, the woman that everyone despised, had saved the former sheriff's life.

_Searching for answers within her memories, more questions arise along with a terrible guilt that made her want to cry. Why was it this way? What caused the Savior and so many others to express that which was opposite in their hearts?_


	22. Chapter 22: Hauling Wind

**Chapter 22: Hauling Wind**

The ginger had saved the life of someone the blonde cared for and this revelation utterly astounded her because it didn't line up with how she felt for the ginger at the time… like she was the enemy. Her confusion frustrated her and made her side with her birth mother, but then the redhead did the unexpected again.

When the townspeople had tried to storm Regina's home and basically lynch her...Artz stood in front of the Evil Queen and blocked the way. She wouldn't budge...not even when they started to hit her with an assortment of blunt objects, causing quite a few bruises...she held firm and protected someone that hated her, choosing her over everyone else...knowing that they would kill her too.

Gold...he had summoned that creature for no apparent reason. When asked why, he had said that in order for certain events to occur, others still needed to happen. He had been looking at the ginger haired woman, his eyes so much older and kinder than the man that she had butted up against on multiple occasions.

He actually apologized to the blonde and the others, saying that had there been another way...he would have used it instead of the creature. He refused to elaborate further and left...then Artz started crying but she was smiling. Her eyes more alive than they had been all year..._finally_...that was all she said.

Emma didn't understand why this event, this terrible and awful creature could in any way be a good thing...until the woman jumped into a portal...even though they had been told that it led straight to a void of nothingness. The blonde had genuinely panicked, thinking the redhead had just committed suicide...only to fall into the portal herself.

Waking up and hearing about what happened...just why? How could she ever believe that Artz was their enemy? She literally saved someone by simply being there! Good god, just how and then Snow spouting her mouth off, saying that the ginger couldn't be trusted and she just agreed like it was an absolute certainty… just _how_?

When Snow suggested the wardrobe as a possible means of getting home, Emma didn't even hesitate. Her hatred for the red head at an all time high...then there was Kora. Regina's mother had a rather disturbing fascination with the Crimson haired woman, wanting to know where she was… to introduce herself to her properly… as if they had some kind of prior history.

At this point, the blonde savior had hopped off the hate train and directly onto the _oh shit _train, having realized that they had willingly and knowingly left Artz at the encampment, surrounded by complete strangers...her blood had turned to ice, a fear unlike anything Emma had ever felt before was pumping through her system.

Even now...she was scared. Was Artz alright? Just how bad were her injuries? Was she even alive? Or worse...had Kora gotten to her first? What did Kora want with Artz? There was no way for her to know about the ginger's involvement with Regina...but that still left a great big question mark. How did Artz and Kora know each other and why was Kora so desperately searching for the red head?

The crimson haired woman had commented on the mayor's mother a time or two, mainly comparing the two and how different they appeared to be. With the Evil Queen, she definitely had a heart because she really did love Henry, but Kora...something had felt off about that woman...like she was _empty_.

All the more reason why the blonde wanted to get back...so many questions and she honestly believed that Artz would answer this time. Everyone except Snow seemed to be in a rush to get back, almost as badly as she did. Philip, the prince that the red head had saved, was actually carrying his fiance, Aurora, on his back so that they could go at a faster pace. Mulan was constantly scouting ahead, checking the immediate area and finding the quickest way back to the encampment.

Snow was bringing up the rear and was walking at a more leisurely pace which was beginning to tick Emma off but they were almost there anyways. She would just bite her tongue from giving her birth mother a verbal whiplashing. It didn't stop her from wanting to know why the dark haired princess refused to pick up the pace and then as they crested the hill..._it didn't matter anymore._

_Confusion was the word of the day and why was the question of the hour, but all that had preceded paled in comparison to what lay ahead. All hell was about to break loose...in more than one way._


	23. Chapter 23: Loose Cannon

**Chapter 23: Loose Cannon**

Everyone stopped in an instant as they reached the edge of the encampment. _Dead… all the inhabitants of the encampment were dead…_ their bodies all over the place. There was no blood and several piles of dust that didnt seem to belong..._Kora_.

Kora had been here...searching for Artz no doubt, killing all that got in her way and not leaving any survivors. Emma was trembling, fear coursing through her veins and a big whopping heap of denial dropped on her brain...followed by the flood of worry, the beginning signs of grief making themselves known.

They slowly entered the camp, the blonde's gaze snapping from body to body. Her mind was practically begging for her friend to be alive, that she wasn't amongst the corpses. Her heart was being stabbed with guilt, knowing that if Artz was dead.._.it would be their fault_. They just abandoned her...like throwing a piece of trash away and forgetting about it.

How could they...why did they...they were supposed to be the heroes, the savior, the good guys...the blonde felt more like a villain than a savior. Especially when she didn't find Artz's body… _Kora_… the blonde had left her friend alone… _without any protection_, and now she was in the hands of an evil witch. Then Snow opened her mouth and all bets were fucking off.

"I told you she couldn't be trusted. Their so called _savior_ killed them all. We left her here...alone...and she took full advantage of it. My god...so many innocent people. _Artz is a monster_." The princess stated her tone filled with grief and rage.

Emma could only stand there, rooted in place...her hands clenched tightly into fists, a few white sparks partially materializing around her fists. A fury so deep and so profound erupting from her core, her blood burning like hellfire.

"You think the savior did this?" Aurora demanded staring at Snow in shock.

Yes...how could she think that someone so wise and so kind, so steadfastly loyal and a real glutton for emotional abuse...could ever do something like this?

"Kora was fighting us...these people had their hearts ripped out and crushed, classic Kora tactic and it could only be done by someone with magic. Artz and Kora have a history that we don't know about...she probably sent Artz to Storybrooke so she could have a little song bird sing for her.

Gold summoned that creature, Artz and the Dark One have a very close relationship with each other. He summoned the creature to make us open a portal so that little bitch could come racing back to her master and then we left her here.

Every single person in this encampment is _dead_! Yet where is Artz? Why isn't she here? If she wasn't in league with Kora then her lifeless corpse would be here and _it isn't_! Artz is no different than that vindictive bitch.

They kill without a second thought, without remorse or guilt. They use people, manipulate them into doing what they want and then disposing of them when they're no longer useful. They're evil...pure god forsaken evil. They're _monsters_...the _both of them_." Snow rationalized only to incite the wrath of Philip and Mulan, both drawing their swords.

The blonde haired savior jaw clenched, her eyes filling with tears...of rage. This was supposed to be _her mother_...and all Emma wanted to do was rip her heart out. Yeah...just like Kora...the bitchy ass princess fucking deserved it.

"She saved him! She protected him! How can you possibly stand there and call her a monster? To believe her capable of such atrocities?!" Mulan hissed her tone laced with a quiet fury.

"I would be dead right now...a victim of that creature. She saved my life...she didn't have to. She had no reason to...she was just being kind. Hell, she didn't even know that she had magic, that she was the savior!" The prince defended his body shifting into an offensive stance while Mulan's shifted into a defensive one, to protect him as she has done so many times before.

"My daughter is the savior! Not that evil witch!" Snow countered notching an arrow into her bow, her eyes darkening with fury.

"Well now...this is quite the spectacle." A black clad man stated garnering their attention, "Oh...dont mind me. By all means, slug it out. I could use some entertainment after all the physical activity."

He perched on the table, crossing his arms and legs...the picture of sass and charm. Such familiar movements and his pattern of speech...echoes of her friend. It was enough to shake the blonde woman from her all consuming rage, allowing her to think properly again...but the fire within did not diminish. It lingered just below the surface, waiting...for the right moment to strike.

Emma allowed her eyes to roam over the new arrival. He looked like a pirate, but there was something about him that seemed familiar. He had dark brown hair, eyes like the ocean...and _he wasn't half bad looking_.

Something was floating near the back of her mind...why did this man seem so familiar to her? A memory from before the Curse was broken flickered through her thoughts and she almost laughed.

_This unexpected encounter has paused the potential blood bath...just long enough for a certain blonde haired Savior to take a trip down memory lane. How will she react once her mind puts all the pieces into place?_


	24. Chapter 24: Territorial Waters

**Chapter 24: Territorial Waters**

_Emma and Artz were sitting at one of the tables outside of Granny's Diner discussing just about everything under the sun while waiting for Henry to get out of school...not to mention grabbing a bite to eat. _

_She wondered if the redhead even ate anything unless someone forced her too. The moment she had mentioned lunch, Artz had declined...her stomach growling loudly in protest almost directly after. Then she offered to buy her lunch, her treat and the crimson haired woman had relented._

_Emma had been meaning to do this for a while...interacting with the mysterious blue eyed woman that everyone in town either hated or flat out ignored. She wanted to understand why she was treated so harshly and by so many. Thus the reason for her constantly bombarding the woman with random questions. Anything to solve the puzzle that was Artz Lanaria._

_"Okay...what would you look for in a guy?" The blonde asked making the ginger roll her eyes fondly._

_The question was harmless enough but the answer would tell her a great deal about the kind of person the red head was. Why because certain attributes being desired in one's significant other often reflected either a kindred spirit or to rectify a deficiency._

_"As in friendship, lovers, or a glorified babysitting job...sorry i meant to say marriage." The red head sassed smirking, her tone completely casual and most definitely unrepentant._

_Emma laughed...god, she loved it when the ginger went into full on sass mode...the looks on people's faces when she verbally slapped them in the face with a healthy dose of satire and wit...ah, priceless._

_"I would say overall but...describe your ideal man." She rephrased._

_The reason for narrowing it down was more due to a certain habit that the ginger portrayed somewhat rarely, depending on the company, and that habit is __**word vomiting.**_ _Once she got started...a run away train with no brakes and all anyone could do was just nod when she paused for breath or when drinking something...and then __**boom**__...off again._

_She leaned a little closer so she could give the ginger her undivided attention. She needed to catch every detail, no matter how vague...only to be completely taken off guard by her response...a common occurrence._

_"Tall, dark, ruggedly gorgeous, a voice as sexy as sin, an accent that turns most of the female species into puddles of goo, charm, sass, sarcasm, and most definitely swagger. Confident, knows what he wants, intelligence is a must though he needs to be resourceful and adjust quickly to changing circumstances._

_Quite frankly, I want all that on top of him being a badass yet a gentleman, has a code of honor but is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He must be a man of his word and willing to do what ever it takes just to find me, let alone keep me._

_Physical attributes: dark hair, I'm thinking brunet. Eyes ranging from steel blue to mirrored obsidian. Basically black, blue, and silver. He has to have style too but he also needs to be flawed." She rattled off surprising the blonde with how specific she was being._

_"Picky much and why flawed? Most women want perfection." Emma retorted taking a bite of her sandwich._

_The blonde was genuinely curious about the whole being flawed thing. Most women wanted someone to fit their ideal picture of what love was supposed to be like, but she had a feeling that the ginger was about as far away from normal as one could get without being clinically insane._

_"Not picky, just specific and I am not like most women, Swan Lake." The ginger replied._

_"Amen to that." The blonde said absentmindedly._

_The blonde woman loved it when Artz called her by that nickname. It had been the first thing that the red head had said to her…'Swan Lake meet Storybrooke. Storybrooke meet Swan Lake...and fight!'_

_Emma had to stop herself from audibly laughing, not wanting to miss the ginger's explanation...but it didn't make it any less funny and had definitely left an impression on her._

_"As for being flawed...no one is perfect and will undoubtedly make mistakes, but he needs to recognize that so that he can come to love my flaws just as I would love his." Artz explained bringing the blonde back into their current conversation._

_Wow...just wow...this woman was just not normal. To be willing to admit that you are flawed is already hard enough to do for yourself but to admit that to someone else and hope that they wont reject you for it...just whoa._

_"You are a bona fide romantic. Anything else, Lady Doctor?" The blonde commented trying to keep it light._

_The last thing she needed was to put Artz on the defensive by probing too deeply. The redhead was a lot more sensitive than everyone realized and had a hair trigger defense mechanism that shut out her deeper emotions while cranking up the sass as a cover._

_Calling her 'Lady Doctor' was something that occurred when Artz had told her that Artz was German for Doctor and her pen name for her fan fiction was Lady Artimes Blaine...so Lady Doctor...and it kind of acted like a mild trigger for the ginger, letting her know that the blonde was just teasing rather than blatantly pumping her for information._

_"Yeah, a few things. I want him to know both darkness and light. Why so that he can find a balance within himself and maybe help me find my own._

_I want him to choose me...over everything else. To know that hate is always foolish and love is always wise. To at least try to be nice but never fail at being kind. To understand both cowardice and cruelty and to look beyond that to see a greater meaning. _

_I want him to never give up on me, no matter how hard I try to push him away. I want him to fight for me, that I am worth staying for. I want him to understand that dying is easy and that living is hard...so that he will do all he can...to live...for me._

_I want him to be my shield but only when I am in over my head. I want him to stop me from going too far to try to help someone. He must not be afraid to get rough with me...especially in bed, but also allow me to explore...to sate my curiosity, that lust for knowledge, to know the unknown._

_So basically Colin O'Donahue as a pirate, preferably a captain. Why so I call him _My Captain_." She elaborated smirking._

_"Does that mean you're his wench?" Emma teased smiling at how ludicrous the red head was being about her ideal man._

_"He may be a pirate but even pirates use the stars to find their way home. That's what I want to be..._His guiding star_...that will always lead him back to me." She replied sincerity ringing in every word._

_Shit...this woman was insanely specific. There was no way in hell that she would find anyone to fit that criteria!_

_"Yep...definitely a romantic...but i doubt you'll find anyone like that here. Reality is a fucking bitch." The blonde countered noting the knowing look in her companions sapphire eyes._

_There were times when Emma really hated that look...those times usually resulting in another fight with the redhead, but this time was different. She seemed to be saddened by the truth yet still had hope._

_"Not in this realm, no...but perhaps in another...a mystical land of adventure and magic. Perhaps that is where I will find my captain...but rest assured, Swan Lake, i will find him and when i do, I am never letting him go...because he is __**mine**__...plot be damned." The ginger stated her tone becoming rather possessive at the end._

_"Do you view everything as a story?" Emma asked genuinely curious._

_Now this was something that always bothered the blonde haired woman. Artz always compared everything to some kind of story or book or game or TV show or movie...heck even music. She was worried that the redhead didn't actually view reality as….well reality._

_"What is life, Emma? Life is a story, and as each person is unique so too is their story. Don't try to force out a chapter...it never works. Instead...simply follow your heart, do what you believe is right especially when it is not easy. Always be kind especially when you're hated for it. _

_Be bluntly honest because if you're gonna be damned...at least be damned for who you are. _

_Simply live each day like it is its own adventure, unravel the mysteries around you, go on fanciful quests to find hidden treasures, make friends along the way so that their stories can crossover with yours to create an even more thrilling tale._

_Each word is a day, each line a week, each page a month, each chapter a year, every decade a novel. A series depicting our lives and how our stories effect others...so just live, Emma Swan. Share your story with as many as you can...why so you can learn more about yourself and to inspire others to write their own stories, both literary and in life." Artz answered revealing a kind of wisdom that only she seemed to have._

_Damn it...how does she do that? It sounded perfectly normal and acceptable and still came out like she held the wisdom of the ages. _

_Emma didn't know why the woman's words touched her so much. The way she saw the world was remarkable and yet so incredibly simple. How, just how? Geez… this woman doesnt make any sense!_

_"I actually feel sorry for you." The blonde stated surprising the red head, "You have the imagination of God himself and all you have to work with is all these lame characters roaming about. How do you not get bored?"_

_The crimson haired woman giggled, her eyes looking much older than her age and lonely too. God, she hated it when her eyes looked like that...it made her heart ache so much, because she knew...knew what it meant to be alone._

_"I do a lot of reading." Artz answered softly, the double meaning not lost on the blonde._


	25. Chapter 25: Dead Reckoning

**Chapter 25: Dead Reckoning**

The man before her matched the ginger's physical description of her ideal man; brunet, blue eyes...and had a remarkable resemblance to Colin O'Donohue. He had barely spoken yet his voice was quite pleasing to the ears and that accent...yeah it would make almost every woman hot under the collar and wanting to jump that man's bones.

Well shit...she had found Artz's Captain but where the hell was Artz?!

"Who are you?" Snow demanded pointing her bow and arrow in his direction.

The blonde almost snapped at her birth mother. There was no way in heaven, hell, purgatory, or limbo that she was going to let anyone hurt, maim, or kill this guy. Let him meet Artz first, damn it!

"The name is Killian Jones. Though you might know me better by my more colorful moniker..._Hook_." He answered completely unbothered by the threat to his life.

Well that took some guts...not batting an eye at the arrow aimed at his heart. She wasnt sure if it was sheer stupidity or was he really that much of a badass? Wait...did he just say _Hook_?

He pulled out a a silver metal hook and tossed it on the ground at Emma's feet. She picked it up, examining it briefly before looking up at him, her eyes curious.

"As in _Captain_ Hook?" She asked wanting verification because if he was...he was not going anywhere until she found Artz.

_Captain_...yet another detail from the ginger's very long list of attributes...also Captain Hook was a pirate in all the stories which was yet another detail from her list. He was tall, dark, and definitely rugged… he was admittedly handsome.

His voice and accent were just..._yum_. _Sass, charm, swagger, confidence, sarcasm...very suave _and his entire demeanor practically screamed that he was the ultimate fucking badass. He appeared to be strong, carried himself more like a gentleman than a sailor..._sophisticated_.

She could see it...the spark of intelligence that was very similar to her friend's and the man was charming and even she thought he was pretty damn sexy...good build, long legs, toned muscles...and then he smirked at her, a knowing look in his eyes. Her cheeks heated up and she glanced away in embarrassment.

"You've heard of me then? That will expedite matters considerably and time is in rather short supply at the moment." He answered uncrossing his limbs and moving away from the table.

_Holy shit_! It hit Emma like a ton of bricks. This was _him_. This was the guy that Artz had described. _Seriously?!_ _What the fuck?! No way! _That little Dalek! The red head had said that she wouldn't find him in their world but in a world of magic and adventure..._The Enchanted Forest_.

She knew...Artz knew and this was part of that tv show that she had told her about after the Curse was broken. She had known that they would meet him here and that's why she had so readily jumped into that portal. Artz...so much faith...so much hope...um wow...then it clicked.

Oh my god..._plot be damned_...holy shit… damn Artz, staking a fucking claim on _Captain Hook_ and pretty much giving the tv show the finger while saying 'Fuck off, bitches. He's mine and I'll wreck the whole damn plot line to keep him.' That woman was just…._impossible_ and she was loving it.

"You only had one hand when you first came here. Now you have two. Care to explain that..._blacksmith_?" Mulan questioned still battle ready as was the prince.

The dark haired man chuckled, a rather fond look on his face. It softened his facial features and the blonde could see why Artz would go after this guy like white on rice...still she needed to make sure that he was good enough for the ginger. She has been through enough shit already and she did not need to have her heart broken on top of all that.

"My star felt that two hands were better than one...certainly did help keep her in place. She is definitely a force of nature and the only woman alive that actually gave me a run for my money in the stamina department. Almost bested me too but fortune smiled upon me...for now at least." He explained smirking, his posture confident and his eyes mischievous.

_My Star_...wasnt that what Artz wanted to be to him..._His Guiding Star_. Oh no...dont tell her that he has already been snatched up by another woman! The blonde was pretty certain that she would make said woman disappear just so that the redhead could have her ideal man, but can you blame her?

Artz needed some love in her life and her heart was set on him...the blonde silently vowed to get them together even if she had to wreck the plot line along side Artz just to do it.

"And just who is this star of yours?" Philip asked curiously and she kind of wanted to know the answer to that question as well.

The man known as Killian Jones smiled fondly, his eyes holding such pride and wonder. What the hell? Emma felt it...something was in the air...or the lack of something. When they had first arrived, the camp was steeped in the scent of fear and death but now...that scent was gone.

A gentle warmth flowed through the camp and the blonde felt some kind of pulse...it reminded her of the pulse she had felt when she had broken the Dark Curse to save her son's life, but it felt different this time. It felt pure..._kind_ even yet laced with sorrow and just a touch of desperate hope.

The group of five could only stare in disbelief as the people that were once dead...started getting back up, rising to their feet, looking about in confusion, others beginning to weep in relief, and some were laughing at the shock of being alive.

Oh my god..._they're alive_...the only thing that was bouncing around her brain was that this..._this was Artz_. She didn't know how but in her heart, she knew that these people were alive because of her ginger haired friend.

"What kind of magic is this? Powerful enough to bring back the dead? What could possibly do such an impossible thing?" Aurora questioned starting to cry as she watched the scene before her.

More like who, Sleeping Beauty. Emma looked around at the people, a small smile on her face. The fury simmering beneath the surface began to recede as an odd sense of pride took its place...only to shift to shock at the captain's next words.

"The power of a star..._my guiding star_...but you might know her by her more color moniker...the _Crimson Savior_." Killian revealed smirking as everyone's jaws dropped.

Emma opened her mouth to say something, her mind and heart shooting in different directions but then her birth mother did something incredibly stupid.

"That beast is not a savior!" Snow snapped letting her arrow fly through the air and straight at the man's chest.

_The Savior has found her friend's Captain and said captain has already staked a claim on the enigmatic ginger...but shit was about to hit the fan big time. Who was going to be left standing when the dust finally settles?_


	26. Chapter 26: Directional Light

**Chapter 26: Directional Light**

_Not him!_ The arrow stopped in mid air, about six or seven inches away from his chest. Emma's heart was pounding harshly in her chest, fear gripping her system and left hand partially raised like that would stop an arrow, but it did strip away what little respect she had for Snow White.

The fury that had abated surged back to the surface and the blonde's body began to tremble in response, the heat flooding her body again but so much hotter than before. _How dare she...this was Artz's Captain… how dare she try to take him away from her?!_ No one noticed that the silver hook in her right hand was beginning to glow faintly with a pale white light.

"I would not suggest doing that again, princess. It makes my star ever so cross when someone tries to off her captain… especially right in front of her." Killian stated plucking the arrow out of the air and spinning it in his hands.

Coming from the opposite side of the encampment was none other than Artz Lanaria. Emma froze, a relief so powerful that she almost dropped the hook and dousing the flames of her fury. She's alive! Kora didn't take her! _She's alive_! Ooh, she looked pissed.

Like the badass she was, the redhead simply walked towards them, the crowd parting for her, almost reverently. Many of them falling to the ground and thanking her for saving them. Several others knelt down, their fists over their hearts...a sign of respect. Some were bowed at the waist and others just smiled, their faces aglow with happiness.

The Crimson Savior came to stand next to the suave and confident Killian Jones, a rather annoyed look on her face and a furious glare pointed straight at Snow...and Emma didn't blame her one bit.

The blonde would be more than happy to beat the hell out of the former school teacher for the ginger woman, but she kind of wanted to hug Artz first… mainly to verify that she wasnt dreaming and then the ginger spoke and all Emma could think was..._Yep, totally Artz_ and something along the lines of _You fucked with the wrong person, you bitchy ass princess._

"Try to take what is mine again, Your Highness, and there will be no force in the whole of creation that will stop me from finding you…" Artz began only to be interrupted by said princess.

"And killing me? Go ahead. Give it your best shot." The dark haired woman sniped notching another arrow into her bow.

_No fucking way_! Over her rotting corpse! She just got her back and she was not going to let her spoiled, arrogant brat of a mother kill her best friend! The pirate caught her off guard, interrupting her thoughts, but in a good way. Oh yeah...they were _definitely_ on the same page.

"You are a real glutton for punishment, princess… because there are fates far worse than death… and with how clever my star is… well let's just say that it would be a very long time before you actually died." Killian informed tossing the arrow in his hands in the air.

The blonde watched the arrow as it flew up, wanting nothing more than to pluck it out of the air and stab Snow in the fucking eye. She was surprised when said arrow suddenly froze midair. What? The arrow then redirected itself and was now aimed at the bratty princess. _What_?

"What the hell?" Artz said in confusion, "I'm not doing that."

"Then who is, love? No one else has active powers here." Killian commented glancing about the crowd.

"You really expect me to believe that you're not doing that...threatening me with my own arrow. What...dont want to get your hands dirty? You're not a beast… you're a monster...a cowardly one at that." Snow stated her voice steeped in disgust and hatred.

The blonde haired woman just stood there, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her heart screamed in a fury so hot that it felt like she was being burned alive. The arrow shot threw the air and straight at the dark haired princess that was her mother.

_From out of the fire and into the frying pan, only to end up neck deep in lava and a bitchy ass princess with a death wish is about to be skewered by her own arrow. Will she live or will she die? Duh...but who will be doing the saving and who will actually need saving?_


	27. Chapter 27: Eye of the Storm

**Chapter 27: Eye of the Storm**

Emma reacted out of pure instinct, her hands shooting out and shining with a white light, the hook slipping from her grasp and landing on the ground. The arrow stopped...it couldn't have been more than two inches away from embedding itself in Snow's right eye.

_What the hell?!_

Emma didn't know what to do. The arrow had done exactly what she had wanted and she was clearly doing _something_ to stop the arrow...was she the one that had sent it right back at its owner? Did she just try to kill her mother?! _What_? Help...please...her hands shaking from the maelstrom of emotion raging in her mind and heart.

"Swan, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Your magic as a savior is no longer dormant." Killian started his voice calm and steady.

Magic?! She has magic...oh god, she has magic! What the hell was she supposed to do?! She had no idea how to use magic!

"Tell me something i don't know… like how do i drop it or move it away or something!" Emma snapped breathlessly, completely terrified of what was happening to her.

She nearly squeaked in fright when the arrow slipped about a half inch forward, the arrow itself trembling like her hands were. Someone help her please! The arrow slipped again...now barely an inch from Snow's eye.

"Swan...you need to relax. Freshly awakened magic expresses the emotions that you normally keep inside. In this case...rage. You're furious with her. Why?" The captain asked taking a few steps towards her, slowly and calculating.

No! Don't come near her! Not while she is like this...she didn't want to hurt him...not him, _not her captain_...she couldn't do that to her friend. The arrow moved away about a half inch before his question registered in her brain and the arrow slipped to a mere half inch from its target.

"Why...because she keeps calling Artz a monster! She isn't a monster! She hasn't hurt anyone! She saves people! How can she call someone like her a monster?! " Emma snapped the arrow beginning to glow in the same white light as her hands as she glared at Snow, "Worse...you called her a coward. She's not a coward at all! She's braver than you will ever be...she deserves to be the Savior!"

The blonde stopped breathing, the light around the arrow starting to sizzle in response to her emotions and her eyes began to glow softly. Many of the tents started falling over, the remains of the small buildings creaking in protest as her magic weighed down the air, a pressure so intense that some of the people were starting to have trouble breathing.

"Swan… breathe. Seriously, you're turning purple, love… are you trying to be a blueberry pie?" Killian teased continuing to inch towards her.

The blonde savior was completely caught off guard and she couldn't help it...she laughed. It was short and a bit breathless but the pressure in the air was decreasing and the people breathing easier as a result.

Sweet lord...she has found the male version of Artz...and she was honestly grateful for that, mainly due to the fact that she would undoubtedly panic if the redhead had been approaching her instead of him.

"Now...i need you to look at me, Swan." He instructed and she shook her head slightly, the arrow wiggling in response, "Emma...why do you hate Artz?"

Now that got her to look at him, her head snapping in his direction in disbelief. The sizzling around the arrow stopped but the light remained.

"I don't...how dare you...i don't hate her!" Emma half shouted having barely regained her breath.

How could he possibly think that?! Did Artz tell him that? Does she believe that the blonde actually hated her? That broke her heart, the light around the arrow fading as sorrow and guilt began to bubble up inside her.

"I heard what you said about her yesterday." He commented inching a little closer.

What? Her mind flashed back to when they had just been released and they had been talking about the ginger. There he was...off to the side and partially obscured by some hay bales. The look on his face, the fury in his eyes...the shade casting over him making his eyes look like black marbles.

"That was yesterday. Its different today." She stated firmly.

And it was...vastly different. Yesterday she had been drowning in false emotions, emotions forced upon her by something or someone. Today...she wanted to glomp the redhead and never let go. She had so much to make up for… her heart twinging painfully… _she was the real monster_.

_So much was happening to the reluctant savior and now she has to sort herself out...otherwise her magic would express it for her, but the question is...who will be the target?_


	28. Chapter 28: Swan Lake

**Chapter 28: Swan Lake**

The arrow suddenly changed directions and shot towards her. Artz screamed out _No!_ Her hands shooting up, glowing in electric blue light and stopping the arrow. Electric blue and pearly white lights fought for control over the arrow and she saw how much Artz was straining to hold the arrow in place.

"Why is it different? What changed?" He questioned his voice soft and steady like she didn't just try to impale herself with a magically infused arrow.

She took a few breaths, her emotions all over the place. She could barely think and her blood felt like lava, scorching through every part of her. She was in so much pain right now and she had just accidentally tried to kill herself.

_Come on, Emma, you can do this. You need to do this….for her. I need her to know that I don't hate her, that something was effecting me. The real me would never have hurt her so badly. I'm sorry...I am so sorry. Please believe me, Artz… please...dont give up on me. I'm here, I'm right here...I'm not going anywhere. I believe you, I swear I do! I don't hate you, I trust you, I….say something, you idiot!_

"Because something happened yesterday. I don't know what it was but i felt it. All that anger and hatred… they weren't real… none of it was real." Emma answered tears beginning to form in her eyes against her will,

"All those terrible things I said...i didn't mean them. I don't hate her...i can't hate her. I left her here...I left her here all alone...with complete strangers. I shouldn't have done that and for the life of me, I don't know why I did. Oh god, I'm the real monster...not her, never her."

The Crimson Savior let out a yelp of pain as the arrow slid until it was about two feet from the blonde's head, but she managed to stop it from going any further. Emma tried desperately to ignore the tears flowing down her friend's face, her arms shaking from the strain.

Several of the children ran up to the ginger and held onto her legs, offering what little support they could give. Two women, a curly ginger and a golden wheat, each took a side and then braced the redhead's arms, keeping her steady. A few men also joined supporting the others and the rest of the camp's inhabitants pooled in behind her.

The dark haired captain continued moving forward, unaware of what was going on behind him, until he was finally in front of her, his ocean blue eyes focusing entirely on her. She could see it… in those deep blue depths, so much like the ocean… _he was kind_, _he was listening_, _he cared, he cared for her_, _he was trying to save her… just like Artz_… fighting so hard to protect her from herself.

"If those feelings weren't real, Emma… then how do you really feel? Oh and call yourself a monster again and I'll slap you." He spoke softly.

She knew that he was serious too with the way he was looking at her. She didn't want to focus on her emotions right now. That's what was causing this whole mess to begin with. She honestly didn't know what to do or what to say or how to feel. He gently took her left hand into both of his, his gaze never wavering. The light from that hand faded as if trying to not to harm him.

"If you don't tell me how you feel, how you truly feel...for her...for my star...then we are going to have a problem." He warned before stepping into the space between her and the arrow.

Her eyes widened in alarm, tears coming even faster as her heart began to race. _No, no, no...please...get out of the way!_ She was having the mother of all emotional breakdowns and all because this idiot had a death wish! _Damn it, you bastard! I can't let her lose you! Not now! Please…. Please!_

The dark haired pirate captain placed her left hand on top of his heart and she could feel it beating against her hand. It was steady… a steady and normal rhythm… but why? How could he be so calm right now? Did he have a plan? Was that why he put himself in front of the arrow?

She was so confused. She looked up at him, trying to understand just what the hell he was thinking. The next words out of his mouth took her completely by surprise, yet at the same time, she wasn't surprised at all.

"My life in your hands..._Swan Lake_." He stated quietly, his eyes shining with sincerity and _trust_.

Hearing that name coming from him...it made her mind calm, her thoughts ceasing to crash into themselves. She looked into his eyes, just staring...letting her mind work itself out. Those few words spoken so gently and calmly, blue eyes so incredibly kind. Yep, she was going to wreck the entire plot line to keep those two together.

_Killian Jones was willing to put his life on the line to help the distraught blonde that was having the mother of all mental breakdowns, but will Emma be able to say what is truly in her heart or will Artz's captain pay the ultimate price?_


	29. Chapter 29: Heart of the Ocean

**Chapter 29: Heart of the Ocean**

The Captain of the infamous Jolly Roger was entrusting his life to her...more than that..._his_ _heart_...the blonde savior could see it in his eyes though she couldn't fathom the how or the why or even the when, but it didn't change what she saw in those deep blue orbs. Killian Jones...he was in love with Artz. _It's impossible_...that meant it was real because when it came to her friend, the impossible was her normal… _typical Artz_.

"I can never hate her because I love her." The blonde stated softly but with absolute certainty, those words ringing so completely true in her heart.

She heard the shocked gasp that came from the ginger's direction and the sounds of suppressed sobs. Her friend, her best friend...she was crying and it was all her fault. The red head had believed that she didn't truly care for her and for once, she had been wrong.

Now she needed to explain the supposedly sudden change and how she truly felt...something she would have never done in front of anyone, let alone to an entire crowd. Emma refused to be a coward so no matter the consequences, she was going to be bluntly honest and like Artz, hope for the best because she needed the crimson haired woman to know how she truly felt. She'd deal with the embarrassment of this whole fiasco later.

"I don't know what's going on or why i kept feeling the opposite of what I truly felt. I honestly don't know how she could possibly stay around me...i hurt her so badly but she never left me. She never abandoned me...she never gave up. She should have, she had every right to drop my ass like a bad habit because what I did, all the things I said...I was a complete and total bitch to her.

Back in Storybrooke, I never trusted her but some part of me knew that was wrong and that I actually did trust her. I had the audacity to call her my friend, my best friend, but our relationship was so shallow. I yelled at her, blaming her for so much when none of it was her fault. I was always demanding answers and forcing information out of her.

My words and actions before now..._it wasn't me! I swear it wasn't! _I know that it's meaningless to say this because it doesn't change anything, but I'm sorry. I am so terribly sorry...for everything. She deserves so much more and I sure as hell don't deserve her; her kindness, her friendship, her love.

I am not worthy of her, not after..._all of this_, but it won't stop me from trying to be. I know nothing that I say or do from now on will ever make up for the past and I'll do all I can to make a better future, but right now, I can make things a little bighter for her by telling the truth. I honestly love being with her, spending time with her, watching her be a total goof just to get me to smile, and sweet Menti Celesti, I love watching her sass people.

She just smirks like a badass and drops a bucket of sarcasm and satire on their heads then walks away while they are gaping like overgrown fish. The way she sees the world, so simple yet so entirely unique. A normal conversation with her goes completely bonkers because she starts spouting off the wisdom of the ages then looks at you and asks why you're so quiet, never realizing just how she blind sides you with such simple truths...oblivious to us yet completely obvious to her.

You think the bitchy ass princess back there is a glutton for punishment...Artz is the poster child for being a glutton of emotional abuse. I screamed at her all the time and she just let me do it even though I was shattering her heart because she just wanted to help, even if it meant that she got hurt in the process.

She is way too fucking kind but damn it if she isn't strong. I have no idea how she can be so strong, yet still so incredibly fragile. She's a whole hell of a lot stronger than me and she doesn't make any bloody sense. I honestly wish that she was the Savior instead of me. I never wanted that stupid title and all the dramatic bullshit that went with it, but Artz...she saves people. That's the kind of person that she is...the person she has _always_ been and always will be.

She saved the Huntsman back in Storybrooke, she saved Philip by simply _being there_...and here, right here in this very encampment..._she saved all of these people_. She pulled off a miracle and miracles are impossible and if something is impossible, Artz is definitely involved because for her, the impossible is her normal.

I knew...I knew the moment I felt that pulse of magic. _I knew it was her_ and there are no words to describe just how proud I am of her. She's amazing and wonderful, a sassy little shit, ridiculously kind and compassionate… she's brilliant and clever...I would call her a genius but that would be more of an insult than a compliment."

This comment resulted in quite a few people snorting in amusement or murmuring in agreement while nodding their heads sagely. They had all seen her numerous talents, but had never acted like she was superior. In fact, the opposite...it was why they had tried to encourage her so much and help her as much as possible.

The blonde haired Savior kept on rambling, her emotions practically hemorrhaging out of her. She kept her eyes on the blue eyed pirate captain that stood before her, listening to every word she was saying and understood what she was trying to convey, knowing that if he stopped her now that it would do more harm than good...especially when her emotions shifted and was actually full on crying, the pain in her eyes actually breaking his heart because she truly was sorry and genuinely cared for their favorite red head.

"_I'm ashamed._ I know that I deserve to feel pretty damn shitty, but I am drowning in guilt right now. Everything I have said and done has hurt her, even now I am hurting her and I don't want to do that anymore. Please...tell me how to stop this. How do I let go because I really, really want to hug the living daylights out of her right now?

This past year feels like a nightmare and I can't find anything to hold onto. I just want to forget it all and start again. I want to make things right, but I don't know how or even where to begin. Is there anything I _can_ do? I mean...I know she'll forgive me because she's Artz, but how the hell can I possibly forgive myself?"

His oceanic hued eyes softened in understanding, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He took her other hand and held both of them in between his, an action resulting in a strange calmness falling over her.

"As much as I would like to give you the answers you seek, I honestly don't know and I won't bother pretending like I understand because this whole opposite emotions thing is completely mad, but under no circumstances are you allowed to forget. Always remember, Swan Lake, otherwise you'll end up making the same mistakes.

As for being worthy, I'm called the Scourge of the Sea and is considered to be one of the most infamous pirates to ever plague the seas. I'm classified as a villain, love, and you, whether you like it or not, you're the Savior. Your light magic is proof of that.

If a savior can't be worthy of that gorgeous goddess then there's no way I could ever be worthy either, but you know what? Whether or not we're worthy, that decision isnt up to us. It's up to her and you're right, she is impossible...and quite huggable." He started making her smile a little with his last comment,

"Truth is, Swan Lake, you and me, we're a lot alike. We both want to help her, to protect her, to love her, to make her as happy as we possibly can. For me...she is my star. The star I have been searching for since I was a child, my very own star that shined just for me.

I am curious though. What is she to you? You've said friend and best friend yet you say you love her. What place does she hold in your heart? Look, I know I'm not explaining this very well. Words are her thing, not mine." Killian continued eliciting a snort of amusement from the blonde savior,

"She is my star and I am her captain. To her, you are her sister...what is she to you?"

The moment he said _sister_, her eyes snapped over to the crimson haired woman. She was breathing hard, her hands flickering on and off with blue light, but she wasn't struggling as badly as before. Seeing all those people gathered around her, supporting her, seeing just how much she cared, the impact she had on others..._Emma knew_. There was only one answer she could give because it was the only one that Artz would believe to be true...the only one that she would accept as the truth.

"_My Doctor_." Emma stated quietly, no uncertainty in her voice and then it hit her.

Her eyes closed of their own accord and her legs gave out. Killian managed to catch and guide her safely to the ground. She tried to reopen her eyes, wanting nothing more than to see her...to see her friend...the one that never gave up on her, that stayed with her, that so readily offered her an eternal friend, that loved her like a _sister_.

_I don't deserve you, Artz, none of us do...I don't know what I can do or what awaits us in the future, but I swear...you won't go through it alone...because I believe, I will always believe because you are my doctor, My Artz...my sister in all but blood… though I'm pretty certain that we could fix that...if Rumple and Ingrid don't kill me first...oh crap, Regina is going to roast me alive..._

Small hands touched her face, her thoughts scattering. They felt a lot cooler than she did right now. Her entire body felt like a dead weight, completely unresponsive to her mental commands. Did she have to mention roasting because every part of her felt like liquid fire or maybe lava?

Why was she so hot and why was everything so muffled? So many voices… like she was deep underwater or like when a radio had really low reception with the bass turned way up. It was hard to distinguish who was actually talking but she did feel the pair of small cool hands checking her over while a larger pair of hands, quite cold actually, was holding onto her rather tightly.

The heat was unbearable...it felt like she was melting from the inside out. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak...she was just burning...until one spot became hotter than the rest...her heart. Her hearing started coming back and she heard Killian grunting in pain.

What was happening to him? Why was he in pain? What the heck was happening to them? Feeling began returning to her limbs as the heat started converging all at her heart. The lava like sensation moved sluggishly through her body, leaving some rather painful muscles and nerves and a god awful sunburn feeling like she had a heat stroke.

Her mouth opened slightly as the pain surrounding her heart became just shy of utter agony but only a small squeaky sound came out and the man holding her started to shake uncontrollably, his grunts of pain becoming cries of another kind. She couldn't tell if he was in agony or having the best sex of his life.

What the holy living hell was happening to them? Was she somehow hurting him, but that couldn't be right? Her magic didn't hurt him before so why would it be hurting him now? Was all the heat being generated from her magic being channeled into him? Was he trying to save her? How was he doing this?

Artz.

It was Artz...thats it. It wasn't Killian that was saving her but the impossible ginger that simply did not know when to quit. She must be using her captain as some kind relief valve...like an overflow causeway for a dam, but like before, her magic didn't harm the pirate captain that called Artz his star.

She mentally winced as her brain worked it out. The biggest factor was speed, second factor was intensity, and the third factor was the magic itself. Since her magic didn't hurt the dark clad pirate that meant that a different magic was being pushed into him. Only two people had active magic here and that was her and Artz, meaning that the redhead was channeling her magic into Killian and taking the blonde's magic into herself.

It was the only thing her frazzled mind could come up with, but why him? Why risk her captain to help her? _Burning the candle at both ends_...shit...if Artz tried to take her magic into herself while her own magic was still present..._a human candle_, but was her magic hurting Artz?

She honestly hoped not because she had already inflicted more than enough damage to her sister and she didn't want to add to it. She had enough to make up for already. Not to mention that she owed the _Crimson Savior_ a long list of apologies...she cried out in acute pain, her thoughts scattering once again.

_Put the damn fire out already!_ Emma heard her birth mother's voice, begging Artz to hurry, that neither of them would last much longer. Snow...she sounded so different. Did she not hate the redhead anymore? Did she break through the false emotions too?

The last bit of heat was pulled out of her body as she heard Killian scream, somewhere between agony and ecstasy. Exhaustion set in, her body shutting down from the intense surge of relief that was flooding her entire system like a tidal wave. The blonde haired savior was definitely losing the battle to stay conscious. Her final thought was kind of stupid and held no connection to what just happened.

_What was her sister's captain doing that required so much physical activity?_


	30. Chapter 30: Rising Tide

**Chapter 30: Rising Tide**

Killian Jones, captain of the pirate ship known as the Jolly Roger, was in some serious pain and not the normal variety either. Physically, he was fine, but he was insanely thirsty and the mother hen that was Princess Aurora wouldn't give him anymore water after he downed the first pitcher in under thirty seconds.

She was concerned that too much water on his stomach would undoubtedly cause him to regurgitate the contents of said stomach, but he seriously felt like he was dying of thirst, his mouth feeling drier than a desert. Every time he tried to get off the cot to get some more water, she pushed him back down and he was too weak from thirst to put up much in the way of resistance.

He was beyond relieved when Aurora left to check on Artz and Emma. Artz, his guiding star was truly the goddess of miracles. Not only had she saved the encampment...he didn't actually know how she had done that and she didn't actually stay conscious long enough for him to get the specifics. Her magic obviously, but how was she able to pull that off while still being so unaccustomed to her freshly awakened magic?

Didn't change the fact that she pulled off a second miracle by saving the blonde woman that had lava for magic and it turned out that it was actually Emma that had stopped the arrow from hitting him, not Artz...who had been running like the wind to try and save him...something that the odd dark haired fellow had told him.

The pirate captain had a feeling that the bloke he encountered before, shortly after his star had collapsed, and the dark clad brat, that had alerted his star of the shit storm he was walking into, were connected to each other in some way. The crimson haired goddess had mentioned something about _her Guard_ being there. Were those two members of this so called Guard and if so, why didn't they do more to help?

He pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that that it would just give him a headache, and focused on what had occurred with _Swan Lake_. Her unexpressed fury caused the arrow to fly straight at the cause of said fury, her birth mother. Fortunately the original arrow shredded after Emma collapsed. His star was by their sides after a few short seconds..._with an arrow embedded in her left side, dangerously close to her heart and lung_.

If he hadn't been so worried about the blonde in his arms that was putting a volcano to shame, he would have beaten the blasted princess to within an inch of sanity. He swore that woman had a bloody death wish, but did that stop his star… _nope_. She slid onto her knees, yanked out the arrow, then turned her attention to the woman she viewed as her sister.

The heat was nothing more than a byproduct of the premature awakening of the blonde's magic as the Savior. How did he know that it was premature...his celestial goddess. Apparently Emma was not meant to become aware of her magic until shortly after returning to Storybrooke and even then, it was supposed to take her a while to actually summon it consciously and even longer to gain proper control.

Premature awakening aside, there was a very big difference with how both women awakened their magic, specifically the point of origin, that first spark, and the emotion behind said spark. Artz's magic had awakened due to her desire to save a life, that desire was the initial spark and the emotion behind that spark was _kindness_. Due to the fact that the emotion had a greater alignment with light magic, it allowed the ginger to awaken her magic more gently and gradually ease into using it. He still thought that it was odd that the only time her magic seems to work properly is when it involves him.

Now Emma's magic had a much more volatile beginning. The spark began as a roaring inferno. A savior's magic is meant to be awakened by stronger positive emotions, the best being love; however, her emotional state had already been at extremely heightened level due to resurgence of her true emotions being shoved to the surface. All it needed was a target which ended up being the woman that gave birth to her.

By sending the blonde into an almost blinding rage, Emma's magic awoke with a much darker alignment to light magic which was not a good thing. Contrary to popular belief, its actually easier to control dark magic than it is to control light magic. Dark magic resonates with a much wider spectrum of emotions and thus making it easier to wield because people have plenty of emotions that fall into this category; namely fear, sorrow, anger, grief, rage, guilt, fury and especially with hatred.

Dark magic can be taught, but light magic must be felt. Dark magic can be easily channeled because it is easier to give in and succumb to one's darker emotions. Light magic, on the other hand, is much harder to control because it comes from some of the deepest and most powerful emotions and when it comes to expressing those deeper emotions...well it's quite the struggle, a constant uphill battle because the wielder has to stop thinking and let themselves feel.

Before coming to the Enchanted Forest, his beloved star barely expressed any of her deeper emotions, at least visibly. Her silences and actions spoke volumes which almost the entirety of that blasted town blatantly ignored or misinterpreted. After coming to the Enchanted Forest, the awakening of her magic actually caused her to lose the ability to conceal her emotions and because she couldn't put up a mask to protect herself, she was in a constant state of fear.

Hmm...now he understood why his star's magic worked so well with him around. She felt safe with him which was ironic given his profession, history, and infamy. In fact, most people would react more negatively to his presence; fear, distrust, anger, disgust, contempt and naturally hatred. Did his guiding star adhere to this societal norm...of course not because she was bloody impossible just like Swan Lake had said.

Artz Lanaria did not make rational sense. She was always surprising him and taking him off guard by saying and acting contrary to the majority of the human race which is probably why it was so difficult to stop thinking about her. Emma had said that the redhead was unique… _understatement of the bloody century_. It didn't help that she was quandary wrapped in an enigma with several layers of mysteries combined with the conundrum of possible spells/curses which makes the woman a living, breathing maze like puzzle that becomes more difficult to solve with every new piece of information.

Just thinking about his star was giving him a headache though he bet the Swan girl was having the mother of all migraines, pun attended. The emotion of fury when combined with light magic equals to _return to sender_...especially when there is a stray arrow involved. He would admit that he owed the woman a rather large thank you because she did save his life and then he and Artz returned the favor and saved her from becoming her own pillar of fire.

Why because his guiding star was a stubborn bitch and he was a selfish bastard. Artz had initially attempted to absorb the blonde's magic into herself, but she almost self-combusted. She had thought that since she had used so much magic already that she would be able to simply draw the savior's magic out and store it in her body, only to discover that she was still filled to the brim with her own magic. It still didn't stop her from trying to save her sister, but she couldn't do it without killing herself and everyone around her.

Then he came up with the hair brained notion of being a temporary vessel of power, but his star adamantly refused to channel Emma's magic into him. She didn't have to say it. He knew that she was bloody terrified of losing him, so he suggested that she channel her magic into him while she transferred the blonde's to her. The look on her face...yep, she wanted to bitch slap him into next week, but he was persistent and they both knew that it was the only viable option they had.

The Crimson Savior didn't have time to argue but she made sure that he knew that she was doing so under extreme protest and that she would never forgive him if he died. Admittedly, this had been one of the worst ideas he has ever had...mainly due to the conflicting sensations he was having during the transfer. It was painful but only because she had to transfer a large amount of magic insanely quickly and that was a bit much for his body to handle all at once.

Then there was the other effect… intoxication… he had gotten completely drunk with her power, the ultimate high if there ever was one. Despite the pain… he had felt positively glorious… now not so much. He was not just incredibly thirsty either… he was having an intense craving for more of his star's magic...like she hadn't given him enough for whatever reason and for the life of him, he didnt understand why.

He was broken out of his thoughts when his body started spasming. He wasn't just thirsty anymore. He felt extremely dehydrated like he hadn't drank a single drop of liquid in months. Damn it, he was going to get some bloody water even if he had to crawl out to the damn well to get it! He groaned as he rolled off the cot, crawling over to the pail of water that Aurora had retrieved to fill the pitcher.

He got his hands on it and literally dunked his head into it, swallowing about two thirds of its contents before someone yanked his head out and he groaned in protest. That someone being the blonde haired savior and she looked worried as hell...still he was relieved that she was alright. He tried to speak but he was still too thirsty. He reached for the pail again, determined to down the rest of its contents, when the blonde grabbed the pail first but she lifted it so he could drink it...if he wasn't already taken by his star, he would have bloody kissed the woman.

He growled in frustration when the water ran out and he looked toward the opening of the tent. Emma got the message and immediately shouted for more water. To his surprise, the Celtic woman called Rem entered the tent with four pails of water.

He was so happy and relieved to see her. He didn't know if everyone had been saved by his star's magic but seeing her alive...it made him smile...then his vision began to swim and he reached out to try and grab the water, only to fall over.

Rem and Emma sat him back up with the curly ginger acting as his backrest while the blonde savior poured the water into a pitcher so that it was easier for him to drink...and boy did he drink and kept on drinking. Even he was surprised by how much water he was drinking...he lost count at around seventeen pails but he was pretty sure it was more than that.

_For some reason, the more he drank, the better he felt. The more water he consumed, the more his strength returned. Why...why would drinking such large quantities of water actually help him? What the bloody hell was happening to him?_


	31. Chapter 31: Spring Tide

**Chapter 31: Spring Tide**

After lord knows how many pails of water, he finally felt alive again and strong enough to talk. He beamed at the blonde haired savior who was looking at him in utter astonishment.

"Where the hell did you put it all? Seriously, you should have exploded...you drank like an entire lake! What the hell?" She asked trying to wrap her head around what had just happened.

"I was thirsty." He answered lamely, trying not to laugh.

Her facial expression was utterly priceless and he was never going to forget it.

"Ya feeling better now, Captain?" Rem asked reminding him that she was still present.

"Physically...yes. Mentally...well enough. Emotionally...not so much. Rem…" He started but stopped because he couldn't find the words.

"It may sound cruel, but I was real happy to see ya...that the last thing I got to see was me favorite captain. I'm sorry for hurtin' ya...again." She apologized making him feel even guiltier.

"I should have saved you." He replied placing his hands on top of the arms she had wrapped around his mid section.

"Silly captain. Ya did save me. Ya saved all of us." She revealed her head resting against his.

"No...that was all Artz. I had nothing to do with it." He refuted looking away and towards the tent wall.

"She's right." The blonde stated making him look at her in confusion, "You said before that newly awakened magic expresses what you keep inside."

"With you, it was your anger. For Artz, her desire to save a life, but what does that have to do with me?" He questioned wondering where the hell she was going with this.

The blonde savior looked at him and he wasn't quite sure what all he was seeing in her eyes. Regret, relief, guilt, joy, sorrow, and gratitude for sure but he couldn't comprehend the rest or the why.

"You believed." She answered simply, her expression morphing into one of shame and guilt.

"I don't understand." He replied his face scrunched up in confusion.

He was at a complete loss. Her reactions and body language were confusing the hell out of him.

"Ya real dense, captain. Ya believed Madame Red." Rem stated knocking on his head with her right hand.

"Well of course I believe in her…" He started but was cut off by the Savior.

"No, Killian. It wasn't you believing _in_ her. It was because you _believed_. You _believed_ her...you accepted what she told you as the truth and promised to stay with her...and because of that faith, that promise… thats what saved them.

You believed and her magic expressed what she felt inside, what she wasn't able to say ...her emotions were too deep, too intense for her to describe with words or actions…" Emma explained a soft smile on her face.

He stared at her, his blue eyes revealing just how shocked he was by this revelation. It was his belief that triggered her magic, his vow empowering her heart and allowing her to perform a miracle. He didnt know what to say. What could he say?


	32. Chapter 32: Child of the Sea

**Chapter 32: Child of the Sea**

Emma looked away, her attention being drawn to something and was staring at the remaining water pails, even Rem was staring.

"What the hell?" The blonde breathed.

He turned his head and he didn't understand what was causing it, but the water in the pails was swirling up and out, forming tiny streams that wove around each other in mid air.

He raised his left hand to touch it and he was surprised when the water came to him, swirling around his hand and arm. He could feel it...he could sense the water in his mind...how it flowed, the speed, the density, how it moved, how it separated and reformed.

He formed a picture in his mind...a rather simple one at that..._the trident_ and he watched in surprise and wonder as the water flowed away from his arm and formed the shape of the trident in the air.

It was him...he was controlling the water, but how? Then it hit him..._Poseidon_...thats what she had said when she removed the tattoo on his wrist and a formed a new one on the back of his right hand..._the trident within the prism_.

"Killian...uh...how are you doing that?" Emma asked eyes transfixed on the water.

"Me captain is a Child of the Sea. I was wondering why he felt so..._off_. Ya powers were asleep, weren't they? How did that happen?" Rem explained making him even more confused.

"Are you saying that I had this power back in Neverland...when we met?" He asked trying to understand what he was being told.

"Of course ya did, captain. It's how ya saved us from the lost boys when they cornered us near the cliff. Ya used the water from the sea to push them back a fair bit into the jungle and then used the water to guide us down the cliff and into a hidden cave. I don't remember much after that...i think I might have fallen asleep because I woke up in Fang's camp with ya watching over me." Rem answered honestly.

Emma looked away from the aquatic spectacle and looked at him, her eyes taking on a rather pensive look.

"You don't remember that." She stated reading his expression and he shook his head.

"I don't remember ever having powers and i don't know who this Fang person is. I don't understand. What the bloody hell is going on?!" He replied his emotions beginning to go berserk.

When he lost control over his emotional state so did the water he had been controlling. It shot off in different directions, nearly hitting Emma and Rem, and swirled wildly through the tent.

"Killian, look at me." Emma ordered forcing his face toward her, "You need to calm down."

"Calm down?! Something or someone has messed with my head, my memories. I cant remember a good chunk of my time in Neverland...its a bloody blur! I have powers that i don't remember having and I can't remember how I met my star. I know that i met her before. It's the only way I can explain how i feel and you're asking me to bloody calm down!" He ranted before suddenly hunching over in pain.

Every muscle in his body seemed to seize up at once and that terrible thirst came back. The water stopped and fell to the floor as he started shaking and gasping for breath. His vision darkened and he barely heard the blonde call for help before he blacked out from the pain.


	33. Chapter 33: A Drop in the Ocean

**Chapter 33: A Drop in the Ocean**

Emma sat in the wooden chair next to a cot, staring at the out cold occupant. Killian Jones was not the kind of man she had expected him to be...given that he was the notorious Captain Hook. He was much more emotionally expressive and open with his thoughts.

When she had found him with his head dunked into a bucket of water, she had kind of freaked out. Then watching him drink a small lake's worth of water had just blown her mind. When she and Rem had explained what happened at the encampment and that he was the reason why Artz had been able to save everyone … the look on his face… like he couldn't believe it.

Then came the water powers and him being a _Child of the Sea_. He had started out calm, more curious than anything else, but then Rem dropped one hell of a bombshell and he lost control of his emotions and like with her and Artz, his power expressed what he felt inside… confusion, fear, desperation, chaos.

He passed out and she had immediately called for help, demanding a tub of water. They brought it and they placed him in the tub and just as she thought, his body soaked up the water like a sponge and the pain on his face faded away, his body relaxing. They placed him back on the cot and she chose to stay with him.

Snow had tried to get her to come out of the tent and eat but she refused. The blonde savior had recently been informed that Artz was, in fact, missing and they only just discovered it because some kind of illusion had been put in place and when Killian lost control, his power disrupted the illusion, causing it to break.

She needed him to get back on his feet because her gut was telling her that he would either be able to find her or knew where she would be going. In fact, Emma was pretty damn sure that Artz had left under her own power. Why...Rem. The Celtic woman was not at all surprised when they discovered that the Crimson Savior was missing.

Rem didn't say a word about the ginger and just told her to look after the captain. She doubted that the woman would be so nonchalant if she thought her _Madame Red_ was in any kind of danger...or at least any kind of danger that was too much for the red head to handle. The Celtic woman genuinely cared for both Killian and Artz and she wanted so badly to ask why and how and just get some damn answers!

"You might want to relax, love, or your face will freeze that way." Killian spoke softly interrupting her thought process.

She immediately helped him into a sitting position and offered him a cup of water, making him smile. At least he could actually hold the cup himself, meaning that he wasnt in too bad of shape.

"About before…" He started hesitating a moment.

"It's okay. Considering how badly I reacted to the whole magic powers thing, i can't really blame you for freaking out." She interrupted giving him an understanding smile.

Emma would admit that she had been rather fascinated by his ability to control water. She was even more curious as to why he chose the shape of the trident to test his control over the water.

The reasoning had to do with a story that Artz had told her...more like word vomited. Man, oh man, did she word vomit! It was a story that spanned the ages and that each character had their own stand alone origin story. She called it _The Star Chronicles_.

The mark of the trident had something to do a with specific origin story called _Starsea_. She kind of wished that she had paid a bit more attention when the ginger was gushing about it because she didn't remember much of the details, mainly just the trident, a kraken, a lot of boundaries being pushed and possibly a tragedy.

The blonde gave up trying to think of it, so she refocused her attention on Artz's Captain.

"Not my finest moment, I'll admit." He replied downing the cup of water.

She refilled it almost automatically, causing a rather cheeky grin to form on his face and she just shook her head in fond exasperation. This guy...she couldn't tell if he was being goofy or being charming… probably both, the smug bastard.

"So water to power the water powers. Makes sense...so…" he commented before his face became serious, "I'll just skip to the part where I tell you where to find Artz."

"Wait...how did you…" she started surprised.

What the hell? Okay...she had not seen that coming. How the heck did he know? He's practically been out cold the whole time and hasn't left the tent at all.

"Know that Artz was missing? Because you're _here_." He explained downing the second cup and her refilling it.

"How does me being here equal to Artz missing?" She asked wondering how he had derived that conclusion.

"Because you're looking after me and not her...and with a rather trigger happy princess about, there's no way you would leave her unprotected...and no, you would not allow Mulan or Phillip or anyone else for that matter to look after her for an extended period of time...not after everything that has happened." He answered the water continuing to disappear and reappear.

She hated to admit it but he was right. So much has happened in the last two days that she would definitely be super protective of Artz, overcompensating for how she had treated her friend in Storybrooke. A random thought passed through her head.

"Physical activity." She stated simply, frowning slightly.

He looked at her in confusion, his head tilting slightly. Aww...did he have to be adorable right now? Still..._cute_!

"When we first met, you said you could use some entertainment after so much physical activity. What exactly were you doing that was so strenuous?" She asked watching his expression closely.

Instead of answering, he just continued drinking from the cup...and fighting the urge to grin. She kept looking at him and he started chuckling. The blonde continued to stare him down until he finally relented.

"Don't suppose you know what Nubbins are, by any chance?" He inquired making her eyes widen slightly.

_What the...Artz! What the fuck?!_

"What? Seriously? In less than a day?!" She replied in astonishment.

Oh she knew what Nubbins were alright...cute, little fluff balls that were very reproductive. Imagine a Kuriboh, use the multiply spell card, and add in the bunny population from Zootopia and that was the Nubbins in a nut shell...a nut shell that gave off pheromones that made people want to shag like rabbits.

"Oh...so you have heard of them then. Well there's your answer, Swan." He stated downing the rest of the cup.

She refilled it almost robotically as her brain was trying to implode.

The blonde savior was overwhelmed by the fact that in under twenty four… hell under twelve hours… Artz had gone from being the picky virgin that loathed almost all forms of physical contact unless she initiated said contact… to jumping the bones of this random handsome pirate and actually having sex… _outdoors _...whoa ..._**click**_.

"When?" She asked suddenly.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes curious.

"Yesterday afternoon...about four and a half hours I'd say, but that was only round one. Round two lasted about two hours and you lot showed up shortly after day break. Why?" He answered honestly.

There was no way that could be a coincidence. Yesterday afternoon, four and a half hours...that would put her sudden shift shortly after their Nubbins session.

"Because it was yesterday afternoon when the spell, curse, or whatever it was that was effecting me was broken." She replied surprising him.

"And that's when you realized that you didn't hate Artz?" He asked.

She could see the cog wheels beginning to grind in his eyes, the gears jumping from track to track...he was smart and quick to catch on. He was going to need that if he wanted to keep up with Artz.

"Yeah...i wondered what happened. What caused it to make everything just..._shift_. You two shagging like a pair of Nubbins would definitely count as an event." She answered sassily.

He smirked, his eyes alight with humor.

"An event? More like a marathon. Bloody hell...for a virgin...she was definitely _not_ what I expected." He admitted swallowing more water from the cup.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Emma commented but it didnt stop her from wanting to know.

And she was going to because this whole thing sounded almost nothing like the Artz she knew yet at the same time, she wasn't really surprised by it either.

"But that's not gonna stop you, now is it?" He countered a knowing look in his eyes.

"Just how exactly did it get to that point? Artz may be a very sassy and sarcastic badass but when it comes to anything remotely physical in the romance department…" She started trailing off seeing that he got the idea.

"Well quite frankly...its a rather humiliating series of events." He replied vaguely.

"She played you, didn't she?" Emma asked hitting the nail on the head quite soundly.

Wouldn't be the first time that the ginger had done that. If it would produce the desired result...she was not above manipulation especially if she was trying to help someone and they were being too stubborn...her, Graham, Regina...hell even Gold!

"My star enlisted the aid of a rather fiery Celtic woman with a bad habit of kicking people in the rib cage." He answered.

"Rem...did she beat the hell out of you or something?" She asked kinda figuring that the curly ginger had been involved somehow.

"She almost killed me." He answered simply.

"Beaten up by a girl half your size...yeah, i dont think your ego survived." She commented refilling his cup before he even asked.

"No...she _actually_ almost killed me." He countered his voice and tone completely serious.

_No way_...there was no possible way that curly twig could do enough damage to actually kill him!

"What? You cannot be serious?" Emma refuted...did Rem have super strength or something?!

"I am actually. I had broken one of my ribs a few months ago and according to my star, it hadn't fully healed. So when Rem kicked me in my rib cage a few times, it rebroke my rib and shoved it straight into my lung...i nearly drowned on dry land.

The scourge of the Sea brought down by a wee lass from the old sod...definitely ridiculous. Artz healed me and then made me believe that she was killing Rem by using her magic to make her feel how it felt to drown in your own blood. The whole accidentally almost killing me was not part of the ruse but everything else was a setup." He informed her.

Bloody hell...great now she was sounding like him. Still he was lucky to be alive and even luckier that her sister fancied him. He was the one she spoke of, the one she was searching for...she had a strange feeling that if the red head hadnt been a part of their lives then it would be highly probable that she and Killian...she stopped that thought very quickly...her brain jumping to a specific conclusion.

"Holy shit." Emma breathed commenting more on her train of thoughts than what he had just told her.


	34. Chapter 34: Deep in the Blue

**Chapter 34: Deep in the Blue**

Graham was supposed to die, his heart crushed by the evil queen. Meaning that he wasn't suppose to exist when she broke the Curse...opening the way to a possible romance between her and Killian, but the Huntsman was alive and they were a couple...much to Regina's displeasure.

The blonde savior was very happy to be with her boyfriend...especially after Artz had given him his heart back. She remembered that day very well. Graham just showed up at the station, locking the door.

Then he walked right up to her and kissed her so passionately that she had barely noticed that he had started stripping her. She tried to ask what had gotten into him, but he quickly silenced her with another bruising kiss, resulting in more clothes coming off.

_The Huntsman_… more like a wild animal… an alpha wolf fucking his bitch. Man, oh man… she had never been the submissive type but then again she had never been handcuffed and naked in a cell with an ex sheriff slamming into her from behind.

She really needed to stop thinking about this because her Huntsman wasn't here which meant that she had no way to relieve herself of her more carnal urges. Killian seemed to notice her sudden inattention.

"You alright, love? You're looking a bit feverish." He asked placing a hand on her forehead.

His hand was cold, chilling even, like she had just jumped into the ocean itself. A rather calming effect...this realm's version of a cold shower and boy was she grateful.

"I'm fine...well…" she removed his hand from her forehead, "Actually my head is doing the back stroke. What happened after the jig was up?"

Yeah...she wasn't going to tell him what she had really been thinking about and judging from the look on his face, she didn't have to.

"My gorgeous and rather mischievous star dragged me off, deep into the woods and proceeded to seduce me." He stated making her snort.

"Artz? No...you don't put Artz and seduce into the same sentence. They are not compatible." She replied disbelief all over her face.

She would be the first to say that the red head was bluntly honest... when she could be...but to willingly and consciously flirt with someone...nope, no way.

"Admittedly it didn't take much… considering I couldn't take my eyes off her all day, but she most definitely seduced me and the only reason why those two words are incompatible is when I'm not involved." He countered completely serious.

Emma blinked...she wasn't sure what to say. Just trying to imagine the friend she viewed as a sister actually trying to seduce someone and she just couldn't see it, but when she glanced at the dark haired, blue eyed captain...she could see it plain as day but why?

Was it because the ginger had never shown the slightest interest in any man...at all? Okay...she admitted to the blonde that she had been attracted to the ex sheriff once. It was the accent… she just had this thing for certain accents and Emma didn't blame her one bit.

Graham's accent always sent shivers down her spine and there were so many times that she wanted to jump him because of that fact. Sitting in front of her was yet another man with a very delicious accent… _sexy as sin_… yep, the ginger totally called it and she knew that he had the goods to back it up. He had been soaked so she and Rem had to dry him off a bit before putting him back in the cot...wet clothes did nothing to hide the size and length of a certain reproductive organ.

Emma put those thoughts aside and focused on just how the Crimson haired woman had seduced the dark haired captain into taking her virginity and in the middle of the woods, out in the open where anyone could have seen or heard them.

The blonde inwardly smirked. She bet the red head didn't actually take that into consideration. Her laser tight focus would have been completely centered on her handsome pirate that the idea of being outdoors in public and the risk of a possible audience didn't even cross her mind.

That being said… the blonde studied the captain who was still downing water like it was going out of style. He was charismatic, dangerous, and yet the way he spoke about Artz… _his guiding star_… that was it. All Artz needed to do was simply be herself.

"She surprised you by doing the unexpected, taking you off guard and if I had to wager a guess...she was rather blunt or am I wrong?" She inquired fighting the urge to smirk.

"For someone that is remarkably lacking in the love department, you're awfully perceptive." He commented off handedly.

"Most of my life, yeah I would say that was true." She replied the loneliness of her childhood smacking her in the face.

"An orphan." Killian stated softly.

"Yeah. Hmph… I'm still getting used to the fact that I actually have parents...and then I tried to kill one of them." She replied sounding so lost yet still angry.

"It's alright to be angry, love. No matter how good the reason was...you were still abandoned. Now that they're back in your life, all that anger and pain is ripping open some very old wounds." He responded his eyes distant.

"Speaking from personal experience? I'm probably the last person you would want to open up to…" She started unsure of how to help him.

He smiled slightly, his eyes returning to the here and now.

"Equivalent exchange." He said making her frown in confusion, "Artz opened up to me and me to her. You're doing the same thing...trying to at least. I figured I owed you the same courtesy."

"You don't have to. I'm a stranger, Killian, and I'm pretty certain that you wanted to kill me." She babbled...why was she so bad at this...oh right...she's not Artz.

He chuckled but did not deny her words.

"Admittedly that is very true, but what's an attempted murder amongst friends, eh?" He acknowledged giving her a cheeky grin.

The blonde couldn't help it… she laughed and she kept on laughing. It was ridiculous… he sounded just like her and she loved it. Talking to him like this… its something she never would have done if she hadnt met Artz first. The red head was extremely persistent, steadfast and constant… no matter how hard Emma had tried to push her away, she always stayed… even when it broke her heart.

"I'm sorry." She said laughing and crying at the same time, "You sound just like her and…"

Her laughter trailed off but her tears kept coming. Oh god...she knew it had been coming...after everything in the last few days...she was ready to burst.

Her decision to leave Storybrooke, Henry almost dying, Artz revealing the truth, falling into a portal, near death experiences, abandoning Artz, her true feelings finally revealed, Snow running her mouth, all that fury, magic, trying to kill Snow, finally realizing just how much she loved Artz, another near death experience for her, Artz, and Killian...and now she was missing, her captain had a mental breakdown and contending with his own powers...talking to him...she had known.

She had known that her mask would crack, the bottle that was her deeper emotions uncorking completely, especially after the emotional roller coaster, and the rest was all coming at once. She couldn't stop it, she couldn't contain it, it was too much, too quickly. She bowed her head, her hair blocking her face as her hands reached up to try and stop her silent tears but they just kept coming.

She gasped when Killian grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. He pushed her face into his chest and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He didn't say a word and she was grateful for that. He pressed his cheek against her hair as he rubbed soothing circles on her arm and back.

The blonde haired savior closed her eyes, allowing herself to cry, to show weakness in front of a stranger, but Artz trusted him..._trusted him completely_...even with her special gift that could only be given once. That alone spoke volumes to her.

The crimson haired woman was so strong, stronger than anyone she knew. All that time, she had stayed by her side. Even though Emma didn't trust her, kept her at a distance, was a fucking yoyo with her emotions… she had stayed, she had cared… she had cared so much that she went above and beyond just to save a single life… _Graham_.


	35. Chapter 35: Silver Frost

**Chapter 35: Silver Frost**

The blonde started sobbing as she remembered all the times she had yelled at Artz, demanding the truth, wanting answers and the ginger simply smiled and went full on sass...even quoting Edward Cullen's lines from Twilight during his impromptu date with Bella. The fact that both Bella and Emma's last name was Swan...well poetic justice or just some serious irony...probably both.

The blonde savior remembered when the things the ginger had been telling her turned out to be true. How eery it had been when the red head had basically picked apart her personality, her mask, and her feelings. At the time, she had been scared so she lashed out, actually slapping the ginger...but looking back she could see what Artz was trying to do.

The Crimson haired woman was nothing if not kind, commonly putting herself in the line of fire just to help someone even if they hated her for it and that was what she had been doing. She was forcing Emma to confront herself, to acknowledge her flaws and mistakes, her fears and doubts, but to also accept what made her strong, powerful...a force of nature was what she had called her.

She would always say that she put the Humanoid Typhoon to shame, meanwhile Artz made The Oncoming Storm look like a water sprinkler. When the red head went full out, there was no force in creation that could stop her. It had happened only a few times and that was only because it scared the living daylights out of her.

The ginger was terrified by how dark, how furious she had become during those times. Apparently, the red head had never known what hatred felt like and very rarely lost her temper with two very different results; the ice queen of logic, an emotionless persona generated when her rage had become too great for her to handle, essentially turning off her heart to contend with the problem.

Then there was the silver phoenix. This side of her had not actually appeared until she came to Storybrooke though she had been told that her eyes sometimes shifted to silver when she was mad. This state of fury was very different from its rational counterpart for it combined the power of emotion with Artz's god-like imagination.

This was a very dangerous combination. Artz normally resolved matters through diplomacy. Something she was quite good at...when people actually acknowledged her existence. When her eyes turn pure silver, glowing with a light from within and making them look like raging flames… thus the name silver phoenix… Everyone should run away, hide, barricade themselves somewhere, or just flee into the woods.

Two times… there were two times when the silver phoenix rose and both times involved Graham… well he was the reason behind her drive… the target… _Regina Mills_. At the time, Emma didn't know what had triggered the ginger's fury. It was only after the curse was broken that she found out the why of those times.

Artz had flat out laid into Regina before Graham had broken up with the mayor… thus the reason why the evil queen completely loathed the fiery red head… forcing her to confront herself… which resulted in the mayor bashing the ginger over the head… with what she did not know, but it had been enough to knock Artz out cold and leaving a gash across the ginger's right eye; from above the eye brow, across the eye lid, to just below the upper cheek bone.

It was a fucking miracle that Artz's right eye was undamaged, but when the gash was healed, there was a scar...not overly apparent but a slight line of barely raised skin from where it had healed over. It was something the ginger wore proudly because by pissing the evil queen off, it had distracted her from Graham and Emma, long enough to find the heart and hide it away.

The second time the silver phoenix rose was about two weeks later when Regina nearly hit the ex sheriff with her car. Now this actually had been a genuine accident. Someone had cut the break lines in the mayor's car...the fact that she nearly killed Graham was entirely circumstantial but that did not stop Artz.

Even with one eye covered with gauze and an eye patch, she was still fucking terrifying. She actually grabbed the mayor and threw her into several objects, a few walls, and eventually the floor where she was holding one arm at an unhealthy angle while pinning the other under the brunette. She then placed one foot on Regina's back and the other against her neck.

No one could get through to Artz, not even Henry. Hell she wouldn't even listen to Mr. Gold and that man was practically like a father to her, but then something happened that the blonde couldn't comprehend. The temperature in the hallway where they were dropped over twenty degrees, going from the standard seventy four degrees to a little under fifty degrees.

Everyone was shivering and shaking from the cold except Artz who appeared to be coming out of a daze, her left eye blinking rapidly. She suddenly released Mayor Mills who wisely stayed on the floor and the silver flowed back into sapphire. She still remembered the look on the ginger's face...she had been appalled by what she had done, tears flowing from her uncovered eye.

The Crimson haired woman bolted away and out of sight. The temperature slowly raised back up to the normal setting and it was Regina that made the first move and absolutely shocking the blonde and the ex sheriff...how...with two words barely spoken above a whisper..._I'm sorry_. She then limped away, shooing the doctors and nurses away from trying to help her.

The blonde savior then searched all over town for the Crimson haired woman becoming more and more worried as her search became longer and longer. She finally took a break and entered her son's favorite ice cream shop. The owner, Ingrid, greeted her warmly and Emma didn't know why but she just spilled everything out about the whole clusterfuck of a situation.

When finished, the older blonde gave her a kind smile and glanced down behind the counter. She then looked back at Emma and it clicked. As quietly as she could, the savior walked around the counter and spotted the red head curled underneath the counter on some kind of small futon and covered with a blanket.

The Crimson haired woman was sound asleep but the blonde savior saw the tear tracks that had dried on her face and it broke her heart. She looked back up at Ingrid who explained that Artz was her daughter, unofficially adopted of course, but it didn't change how they felt about one another.

The older woman revealed that the ginger spent a great deal of time here and if she wasn't here then she was at the pawn shop. Emma told her the details of what happened at the hospital and Ingrid had smiled. Due to Artz's near constant environment, the ice cream shop, the cold acted as a trigger of sorts which explained why the ginger had suddenly calmed down.

The frigid cold temperature was associated with safety, serenity, and ironically warmth… the love of a mother. It still didn't explain how it had dropped over twenty degrees in less than two minutes but Emma was relieved. The knowledge that despite how everybody else had treated her, Artz had found a family; Ingrid, Gold...even Graham and Regina to a certain extent...and herself.

Looking back at those times, it made her feel so guilty because most of the time, Emma barely remembered that the ginger existed on most days and even when she did, about seventy percent of the time, she was either using her as a sounding board or pumping her for information.

So few were the times when her feelings were genuine and she was ashamed. She had said that Artz was her Doctor, acknowledging her as family and now, in her heart, that was true but their so called friendship was shallow, fake, a masked manipulation...the blonde wrapped her arms around the silent pirate, letting the scent of the Sea calm her but it didn't change the past.


	36. Chapter 36: Broken Reflection

**Chapter 36: Broken Reflection**

There was so much left unsaid, undone, or in desperate need of fixing. She had made so many mistakes, done such terrible things, and now... now Artz was out there..._alone_...doing lord knows what with the Queen of Hearts searching for her. Meanwhile Emma was losing her shit and taking comfort in the arms of a stranger, said stranger having shagged her sister like Nubbins.

She giggled softly...Artz finally got laid. It was about fucking time and that thought alone broke through her more negative emotions.

"I take it that my services are no longer required, yes?" Killian asked loosening his grip but not releasing her entirely, a clear message that should she need to...he would gladly help.

She pulled back, rather begrudgingly...he made a surprisingly good pillow and was taken off guard when he wiped her remaining tears away, his eyes a mirrored obsidian...but so warm. Those eyes should have frightened her or at least unnerved her, but she actually felt safer which was just plain weird.

"Did you know that your eyes change colors?" She asked her curiosity winning out over her lingering break down.

"Yes. It usually occurs with rage, bloodlust, the pure pleasure of killing something...or someone." He answered looking a little uncomfortable.

"Or when you're feeling a deeper emotion, something that hits you at your core." She replied continuing to stare into those kind black orbs..._black_.

_'Basically black, blue, and silver.'_

Mirrored obsidian, ocean blue..._silver hook_...clever, Artz, very clever.

"I wouldn't know...they're black now, aren't they?" He surmised looking away.

"Hey." She started turning his face back towards her, "Look at me."

He kept his eyes down and she could feel his insecurity. She guessed this topic didn't come up very often. Captain Hook being overly sensitive about his eyes changing colors...but people coming back from the dead..._no problem_.

How could she get him to look at her? He had blind sided her when he asked if she hated Artz, but this was a whole different ball of wax. Her lips twitched slightly, fighting the urge to smirk.

"Tell me, Killian. What exactly did my sister say to make you two shag like Nubbins?" She asked her tone a little coy but also teasing.

His eyes flashed up briefly and she watched as they faded from obsidian to ocean blue..._wow_...that was kind of cool...pun intended.

"Then what the hell are you waiting for...an invitation? Hell...if you want me to say it, I will. Will you please fuck me already?!" He quoted making her jaw drop.

Holy shit, Artz. When the hell did she get so fucking gutsy? That takes some serious courage...and it proved something to the blonde haired savior.

"I would say typical Artz but that...is actually a first for her. Which means only one thing." Emma commented looking into his ocean blue eyes.

"And that is?" He asked his own curiosity raging.

"It means that I can trust you." She answered taking him off guard, "Artz is only that forward or blunt with people that she trusts completely. As of right now...that is a pretty short list.

There is only one other person that Artz would trust completely and sadly, he's fictional and ironically, a different version of you." She explained though with those eyes...maybe...was it possible?

"You're referring to Hook and Poseidon. She mentioned that after the encampment ...I'm pretty certain that I'm Poseidon." He replied showing the tattoo on the back of his hand, "though to be honest...i think I might have a split personality."

Split personality? So far she has only seen Killian… but those eyes… _mirrored obsidian_… those were the eyes of the one Artz called _The Fourth Captain_… _The Scourge of the Sea_… _Hook and he is her captain._

"You would think that would surprise me, but it doesn't. I'm almost hoping its true because then she could have her god of the sea and her captain. I guarantee that it would make her very happy." She commented smiling at him.

"And why's that?" He asked returning the gesture.

"Then there would be two of you…" Emma started only to be interrupted by the captain.

"A whole different birthday." He finished his eyes dulling and his face scrunching up like he was in pain.

"Killian?" She said wondering what was happening.

Her eyes widened as his eyes shifted from ocean blue to mirrored obsidian and she was suddenly on her back with him situated firmly in between her legs...oh dear...not good.

"Guess again, wench." He rumbled his lips close to her ear and his tone was so dark.

Not good, very not good...three words and she wanted to fuck him..._very not good!_

"Hook." She spoke softly, hating how breathless she was.

He rubbed against her and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from moaning. He skimmed along her neck and collar bone with his lips, a ghostly touch that sent shivers down her spine.

"I like the way you smell, little Swan… fresh spring water with just a touch of rosemary. A pure yet sweet scent, subtle, alluring..._tempting, so very tempting_." He growled out against her skin, her body heating up in response.

"So he was right...he does have a split personality." She stated trying to regain control of the situation...but that didn't happen because he started rubbing against her again.

She started to pant and her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head when he started nipping at her skin with his teeth.

"Don't insult me, little Swan. The brat and I are in no way the same person. We are two very different people." He replied using his hands and movements to prove his point.

She was controlling her physical reactions pretty well until he pinned her hands above her, tying them to the end of the cot. _Not good_...how the hell did he know? Ever since she and Graham had started having sex, she kind of figured out that she liked it when her hands were bound/cuffed.

So hands tied and unable to save herself, her body responded by becoming hotter and wetter. Then he slid his hands under her shirt and grabbed her breasts tightly, the rough texture of his skin rubbing against the exposed flesh.

_Shit!_ The blonde savior arched as she orgasmed and she grunted from the release. _Damn it_! Why wasn't she fighting back?! Why wasnt she resisting?! She had a boyfriend and this man was her sister's captain...yet she couldn't find it in her to fight, to resist...and a few moments later, a second orgasm and then a third and he was just grinding against her, fully clothed!

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, my little Swan...just relax and enjoy." He stated rubbing her breasts with his hands and keeping up the constant friction, "Relax...I won't go any further than this. I give you my word."

"Why do this at all and if you're not a split personality then what are you?" She questioned relaxing into the rhythm now that she knew his intentions.

"This world is broken, little Swan, and it is still breaking. Time has splintered and paths are crossing before they should while others are forced to merge with another." He answered cryptically, bringing her into another orgasm, "As for this… I'm not entirely sure why. I just know that I need to. Do you want me to stop?"

His eyes started to fade and her heart screamed...she needed to save him. That's why he came out now...when Killian was most distracted...because _he was fading away_...and he wasn't going to come back. NO! She couldn't let him slip away. An image of Artz flashed through her mind, the words _My Captain_, bouncing around her head.

"Don't…" She started relieved when the obsidian began to return, "Don't stop. I don't...i don't know why, but I have to save you. And i don't know how."

She was taken off guard when he placed a gentle kiss to her cheek before untying her hands. She just laid there and let him do as he wished. He kept his word and went no further, not a single article of clothing being removed, but it did not mean that they didn't shift because one hand was under her shirt and the other was frequently inside her pants.

A loophole to be sure but at this point, she was focusing more on what was going on inside her body. Every time he made her peak, a strange warmth would surge from deep within. It didn't hurt and it took her a few more orgasms to realize what the warmth truly was..._magic_.

_'For Artz, it was her desire to save a life.'_

Her magic...her power as a savior...it was reacting...reacting to her desire to save a life...to save him..._to save her sister's captain_. She wrapped her arms around him, startling him...especially when she wrapped her legs around him too, using them to grind him harder against her...her magic surging each time.

"Swan…" he started trying to speak but the intense pressure of their joined movements was making him pant for breath, "What are you….what are you doing?"

Her eyes were fierce, her mind made up, and her determination was at full blast.

"I'm saving you." She stated firmly, forcing him to grind against her harder.

His movements increased speed...he was close...so was her magic. She needed to time this just right because she was pretty certain that there wouldn't be a second chance. It was all or nothing. She placed one hand on his back, the other on the back of his head, forcing him to close the gap and bring him into full contact with her.

He reflexively wrapped his arms around her, his embrace almost as tight as her own. She threaded her hand into his hair, white sparks coming from her fingers and the sound he made...it was so deep, a dark growl filled with lust and desire. Her body went into overdrive, that sound acting as a release valve.

She climaxed and her magic surged from her body and pushed itself into his body, forcing him to come hard. His entire body shined with a pure silver light and then it faded and he collapsed out cold, still on top of her.

Rem ran in and noticed their positions and before Emma could say anything, the Celtic woman knelt down and smiled at her.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"I don't...why did…what the hell?" The blonde rambled breathing heavily and feeling her magic retreat deep within, its task apparently complete.

"There's a lot ya don't know, Emma, and I know that you're confused, but this needed to happen." Rem replied gently pulling the out cold pirate off of the blonde and laying him on his back, "Killian needs Artz's magic, but Hook is different. He requires a savior's magic. Both are needed and both still require more."

Emma's vision began to swim and it was hard to focus, everything kept moving. The curly ginger turned towards the blonde savior but something was off...she didn't feel like Rem.

"All magic comes with a price, Emma Swan. To save that which is fading, the darkness must be unleashed." The woman continued her voice deepening, sounding older.

"You're not Rem." The blonde spoke her voice hoarse and her mouth felt like a cottonball.

The woman faded from the curly ginger to the last person she had expected to see..._The Queen of Hearts_. No...this could not be happening. Why would she be here? What purpose did it serve? Was she the reason why Hook woke up?

The older woman sat down on the cot next to her and the blonde tried to move away, but her vision blurred every time she moved and she felt completely spent.

"I'm sorry, Emma. Truly I am. There is so much that you don't know….so many people have died just to get this far. Those that remain have to make sacrifices in order to make things right." Kora said cryptically.

"I don't understand." Emma replied starting to get light headed.

"I doubt you ever will. Emma, there is still much to be done. You have saved the first but if the second does not appear then everything around you will be destroyed. I wish there was another way, but for the light to be strong, it must be tempered by darkness.

To make it eternal and unending, it must face terrible trials, defeat powerful foes, embrace both love and hate...this is the last time, Emma. We wont be able to try again. The balance must be broken, a new destiny must be born, and the truth must be known." Kora continued but the blonde savior was beginning to lose consciousness,

"The price for saving Hook is the memory of him and what has transpired between the two of you. It is not yet time for her to learn of his existence. Soon though...she will because she'll notice. So perceptive and observant...i am so proud of her. To come so far, endured so much...i am so very, very proud."

She looked down at the nearly unconscious savior...why? Even with her blurry and darkening vision, she could still see them and it didn't make sense. Why was Kora, Regina's mother, the Queen of Hearts..._why was she crying_?

"A single heart changed everything, creating a better place, a brighter future and then so many hearts had to be destroyed to undo what had been done...to save her...so many sacrifices...one final time to get it right.

Find the second, Emma. Find the one whose faith has never died...the one that bears the mark of reflection..._the crescent moon within the prism_...find her.

_Find Yuna_." She spoke her voice drifting away.

The blonde haired savior lost the battle to stay awake as her eyes closed against her will and she fell asleep, a slumber so deep that she didnt even dream.


	37. Chapter 37: Sass and Subterfuge

**Chapter 37: Sass and Subterfuge**

When the savior awoke, she found herself curled up to Killian's side, her head resting on his chest and his left arm around her waist.

"Hey...how are you feeling?" Snow asked from the chair next to the cot where she and Killian were.

"Like my head has been kicked by a horse." The blonde grumbled, "What the hell happened?"

"Your magic surged again, but he was able to absorb most of it." She answered gesturing to the still sleeping captain.

Emma tried to move which did nothing more than cause a subconscious reaction from the pirate, his arm wrapping around her waist even tighter. His other hand came to rest on her back, just below her neck, and she groaned in annoyance.

"How long?" The blonde asked slightly muffled.

"Night fell about two hours ago so about four, maybe five hours." The dark haired princess answered doing some mental calculations.

"Any sign of her?" She asked though she was pretty sure of the answer.

"Rem left not long after your surge to look for her, but no...nothing so far. Emma… I…" Snow started trying to find the words.

"Are we really going to do this again, Mary Margaret? Snow...it's okay. You're not the only one…" Emma started.

"But I'm the only one that tried to kill her...multiple times. I almost killed him...and you. I still can't believe...how could I have ever...she was just trying to help." Snow rambled fighting back tears, her voice quivering with emotion.

"It's not your fault. You, me, everyone in Storybrooke...we were all affected by whatever this is. Gold and Ingrid must have broken through straight away and Henry...he had worked it out. He tried to tell me but I didn't understand, couldn't understand.

I still can't wrap my head around everything. It's been what...less than three days since the curse was broken and it has just been one thing after another. Yes, we said and did terrible things to probably the kindest person we will ever meet and we have to live with that.

But right now...she's out there and she's all alone...and she is still trying to help. I may not know what she is doing but…" Emma responded only to be interrupted by a half asleep pirate.

"But i do." He muttered cracking open his eyes, the ocean blue depths dull from sleep.

"You make a very good pillow." The blonde commented making him chuckle.

"So I have been told. Now how long has she been missing?" He asked slowly sitting up and allowing the blonde to get up as well.

"We're not sure. There was some kind of illusion so we didn't actually know she was missing until sometime this afternoon." Snow answered as she grabbed a cup and a pitcher of water.

The pirate was grateful because he was parched, but he did let Emma have some before he started in on it. Once that pitcher was empty, he spoke.

"Given how late it is, she's either at the top or at least two thirds up." He stated confusing them.

"Up?" Both women echoed.

"As in up a beanstalk. She's going after the compass." Killian informed continuing on before they could ask, "Kora has the ashes of the wardrobe which still holds the original enchantment. It can open a portal but to get to Storybrooke, she needs an enchanted compass which is at the top of a beanstalk that has been warded against intruders."

"So how can she be climbing it?" Emma asked confused.

"Wait...how do you know any of this? Are you working for Kora?" Snow demanded her hand automatically reaching for the blade at her waist.

"I'm a glorified errand boy, princess. The only reason why I haven't severed all ties to that heartless bitch is so that i can keep her away from my star and as for your question, Swan. Kora gave me a counterspell. One is with me, the other is with Artz. She took it from me before..._Nubbins_." He answered wiggling his eyebrows at her and making her smile.

"Nubbins?" Snow echoed confused causing the other two to start laughing, "What? What's so funny?"

They glanced at each other, a silent conversation being conducted with their eyes and expressions. Killian eventually conceded and rolled his eyes at the smirking blonde.

"They're cute, little fluff balls that have a bad habit of reproducing insanely quickly. Start out with five or six, next thing you know...dozens...and the next day, hundreds." Emma explained trying not to laugh at the perplexed expression on Snow's face.

"Okay...but what does that have to do with Artz taking the counter spell?" She asked not getting it at all.

"Killian…" the blonde started.

"Let me handle this, love. Let me put this in a way that you can understand, Princess. Right after Artz took the counterspell from me, we spent the next four and a half hours having sex out in the woods." He stated being brutally honest.

Snow stared at him, frozen in shock. Emma snorted slightly, silently giggling.

"I think you just broke my mom." She commented smiling at him.

He gave her a cheeky grin, completely unrepentant.

"Subtlety wasn't working, love." He replied highly amused.

"So you pulled an Artz and let the hammer fall." She countered shaking her head at him.

"Gravity works...why not use it?" He replied sassily.

"Um...i think I just hallucinated. Could you repeat what you said...please." The dark haired princess requested finally moving past the shock phase.

Killian opened his mouth to do as she asked, but Emma clamped a hand over his mouth to silence him...which he promptly licked.

"Seriously, dude? So juvenile." Emma said giving him a so not amused look but did not remove her hand.

He was not about to pass up a perfect opportunity and he stuck out his tongue, licking her hand repeatedly. The blonde giggled slightly, the sensation caused by his tongue tickled and she was trying very hard to not yank her hand away...but he was persistent, licking in between her fingers and damn it!

She whipped her hand away and rubbed it on her jeans, trying to make the tickling feeling go away.

"Artz and I had sex...repeatedly...four and a half hours to be precise. She may have been a virgin, but bloody hell...best damn sex of my life." He reiterated then noticed the blonde staring at him, "Feel free to tell her that. In fact, I think I'll tell her myself."

He tried to get to his feet but his legs buckled. Emma managed to catch him and pulled him back onto the cot.

"You're not going anywhere. Give me the counterspell and I'll go after her." Emma rationalized.

"I wish I could, love, but once it's been placed, it can't be removed until its purpose is complete." He told her while showing her the black bracelet.

He tried to remove it but it shimmered a yellowish gold but did not budge.

"Okay...that is annoying. Guess I'll just have to drown your happy ass in water then." The blonde commented smirking at his reaction.

"Do I look like a fish to you?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yeah...a piranha which means that i can't take my eyes off you for a second." Emma answered sassily.

"I would despair if you did...which is what i would normally say but quite frankly, my star is better. Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful, Swan...but Artz is…" He started before trailing off.

"Artz is Artz." She finished before leaning in a bit, "You break her heart and I'll deep fry your ass, fish boy."

"You certainly have quite the fascination with asses...you remind me of a rather lecherous monk…" he commented.

"...named Miroku." She finished surprising him.

"This is why I must have met my star before. I know her stories and the tales from her land. I taught her how to play the flute and she in turn taught me the song called _The Inner Light_." He rambled his head still trying to understand.

"Wait what? What do you mean you taught her how to play the flute? Artz cant play a musical instrument to save her life." Snow commented shoving the whole Artz not being a virgin anymore thing to the side.

"I'm not surprised and I should be, but for some reason, every time I look at you...my brain says that your Artz's Captain. Seriously...right from the start." Emma replied ignoring her birth mother.

Killian looked at her in surprise, his ocean blue eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion.

"Really but how did…" he started trying to understand.

"Um...hello. You're going to ignore me, aren't you?" Snow whined before getting up in a huff and exiting the tent, "Clearly I'm not wanted. I'll get the tub filled."

"That wasn't very nice, Swan Lake." He commented and she shrugged.

"Three's a crowd when you're not with Artz." She replied, "and to answer your question. I asked her once what her ideal man would be like. At the time, I thought she was being ridiculously picky, but now I know differently."

"And how exactly did she describe me, Swan, because she would have to be insanely specific for you to recognize me straight away." He surmised honestly curious.

She smiled, her eyes warm and bright. He raised an eyebrow in question, making her giggle.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" He deduced.

"I'm not sure if I should. Your ego is beyond saving...no need to make it worse." She sassed smirking playfully at him.

He rolled his eyes as he groaned, eliciting even more laughter from his blonde haired companion. He became serious and gave her a look that made her heart hurt. Was he truly so insecure about how Artz viewed him? Well...technically they did meet yesterday and they hadn't been together very long so he hadn't gotten a good read of the ginger's character and personality.

"Fine, but these are her words and not mine, got it?" She caved and he nodded silently, his eyes alight with curiosity and just a touch of trepidation...poor guy,

"Tall, dark, ruggedly gorgeous, a voice as sexy as sin, an accent that turns most of the female species into puddles of goo, charm, sass, sarcasm, and most definitely swagger. Confident, knows what he wants, intelligence is a must though he needs to be resourceful and adjust quickly to changing circumstances.

He has to be a badass but also a gentleman. He also needs to have a code of honor but isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He must be a man of his word and do whatever it takes to find her and to keep her.

Appearance: Dark hair preferably a brunet and eyes ranging from ocean blue to mirrored obsidian.

He has to have style, but he also needs to be flawed. He needs to recognize that he does have flaws so that he can love her flaws as she would love his. He needs to know both darkness and light to find a balance within himself and to help her find her own balance.

She wants him to choose her over everything else. To know that hate is always foolish and love is always wise. To at least try to be nice, but never fail at being kind. He needs to understand both cowardice and cruelty and to look beyond that to see a greater meaning.

He must never give up on her, no matter how much of a stubborn bitch she's being, no matter how hard she is trying to push him away. He needs to fight for her, stay for her. She wants him to understand that dying is easy and living is hard. He needs to live for her and if he dies, then he needs to beat the hell out of whoever runs the afterlife and send him back to her.

She wants him to be her shield, mainly when she gets in over her head, or to protect her from herself, to stop her from going overboard while trying to help and to keep people from using her kindness.

He can't treat her like glass either… especially in bed. He has to be willing to get rough with her, but also let her explore him. The curiosity thing is a big factor for her because she likes exploring, learning new things, making discoveries, knowing the unknown.

In my personal opinion, she honestly needs someone to encourage her, compliment her, someone she can run to when she learns something new. I think she wants someone she can not only surprise but also impress... to know that her efforts are appreciated...that she is wanted and needed.

She's so lonely, has the weight of the world on her shoulders, and for some reason, her heart is always breaking behind her eyes. I want her to look the way she did when she first stood next to you; confident, bold, self assured, a complete and total fucking badass. She was incredible...i could see it in her eyes...for once, she was at peace with herself.

Hmph...peace...she found peace because of a pirate which was another requirement for her. She wanted a pirate, specifically a captain so that she could call him her captain and to him...she wanted to be his star, his guiding star...a light to guide him home...to her.

I think that's everything though i wouldn't be surprised if i left something out and I did add in some stuff…" She commented only to stop talking when she noticed that he was crying.

The look in his eyes said it all. He was completely blown away...shock was not a strong enough word to describe him, but she could tell...he was touched, honored even. The crimson haired woman had literally described him and what she wanted of him...something he appeared to be okay with. Still...he looked so vulnerable...like a single tap would shatter him into dust. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out so he closed it again. She smiled softly at him, completely understanding how he was feeling at the moment.

Emma Swan had been on the receiving end of that woman many times. Every time it happened, the blonde had been completely blind sided and the ginger would just wander off like she hadn't just dropped the mother of all bombshells… though in his case, it would be cannon balls.

She waited patiently for the pirate captain to pull himself back together and when he did, his eyes were apologetic. She simply smiled at him, a knowing look in her eyes. Snow called to them from outside, letting them know that the tub was ready. The blonde haired savior helped the captain to his feet and he swayed a fair bit before stabilizing. The duo exited the tent not knowing of the shit storm that laid ahead or what had occurred between Artz and a specific individual at the base of the beanstalk.

_They only knew that whatever trials they needed to go through, they would face them together. The Savior and the God of the Sea...a friendship made in an instant and it would endure and grow stronger with the passing of time...but would it be enough to handle what was to come?_


	38. Chapter 38: Artzify

**Chapter 38: Artzify**

The crimson haired woman from another reality was currently on her way to a specific location...a beanstalk and she wasn't a redhead at the moment. By transferring her magic into Killian… something that she was never going to forget...why because the guy had been screaming in pain and _in pleasure._..that guy was becoming an addict.

Every time she used her magic on him, he looked like he was in absolute bliss, like he had literally found heaven on earth. Yeah, her head was still wrapping around that fact...said head being currently blonde like Emma Swan blonde. By pulling Emma's magic into herself, it made her go from ginger to blonde...something she hoped was temporary.

The reason..._her Captain, her God of the Sea_. He loved her hair...so many times he just reached out and started running his hands through it. Several comments were made about how soft it was, how much he loved the color...a fiery red or the color of spilt blood. Had anyone else said that, she would have been completely creeped out and she wouldn't have believed them either.

It was different with him...right from the start. Contrary to popular belief, she was not blind or blissfully unaware. She had seen him following her, trailing behind her like a lost puppy...more like he was _her_ puppy. Normally she hated being the center of attention, but feeling his eyes on her almost all day...it made her feel safe… like he wouldn't allow anyone to harm her.

During the day, she made certain to exhibit her skills, knowledge, and core traits. She wanted him to observe her, so that he could derive conclusions based on what he saw and heard. Which was her ulterior motive when she started gushing about Storybrooke and the people she cared for.

She knew from experience how hard it was to create an accurate profile of someone without actually interacting with the subject of said profile, so she did her best to give him as much information about herself as possible...which required the gossip biddies aka the local newspapers. She didn't particularly care for gossip despite being guilty of gossiping herself...though she thinks everyone has been guilty of that at one time or another in their lives.

Fortunately, she got some help from some rather unlikely sources; the fiery Rem, the gentle Lily, and the enigmatic Kyubei. Kyubei was definitely a shock for her. She hadn't expected the cute fluff ball of a contractor to even exist in the OUaT universe, but there he was, waltzing about like he owned the place.

Under normal circumstances, she would have been afraid of him...had it not been for the mark on his back. It was the mark of the Blood Guard, the Ouroboros. It was a modified version, but still recognizable. The only difference was that there was a starburst within the Ouroboros, denoting his absolute loyalty to the Star Child, founder and Lady of the Blood Guard.

Admittedly their interaction was brief, much to her annoyance, but that was due to Killian getting submerged into some kind of memory/vision. Had Kyubei not Gibbs smacked him, his mind would have shattered from going too deep. Then there was the quaking of footsteps..._stupid ass fucking ogres_. They were beginning to really bug her.

She got a heads up from her little fluff ball that Killian was being dense and then she heard the music...a very fast rhythm...she couldn't help it, she just started dancing. She spotted Kyubei and her captain across the way and she had to hold in her laughter from how he was glaring at the contractor. Kyubei vanished and Killian stalked off.


	39. Chapter 39: Remember, Remember

**Chapter 39: Remember, Remember**

This gave her an opportunity to put her idea into motion. She knew that the dark haired pirate was using the rumor mill to gather information on her. He wasn't exactly being subtle about it either which made her genuinely curious. The way he was persistently questioning everyone and the kinds of questions he was asking..._did he like her...like genuinely interested in her as in...romantically_?

She wasn't sure. It sounded like he was but when it came to romance...she was a Martian that was about two steps shy of Castiel and his obsession with porn. Ah...the Angel of Thursday, he was just so cute...and these thoughts were not helping her in the slightest, so she enlisted the aid of Rem and Lily, they in turn enlisted others like Sam, Monica, and several others to get the rumor mill really going.

She had hoped that all the gossip would spur him into action, at the very least a brief introduction or something, but it didn't so she had to take some drastic steps. Before that, she made certain that she talked with every single person in camp, knowing what was to come and not knowing if she could save any of them at all.

She learned all their names, listened to their stories, repeating them over and over in her mind, committing each one into her memory, and branding them into her very soul. It was all she could do at this point in time and that pissed her off so bad. What was the point of knowing a probable future _and_ having magic, if she couldn't save anyone?!

She internally cringed when her magic spiked in response to her heightened emotions and blew up one of the water barrels...an event that somehow ended up as her defending him or something which just annoyed her. Killian Jones didn't need anyone to defend him! He was a fucking badass and _spark_. Shit...her magic was generating some crazy fucking rumors.

She focused instead on creating a deterrent to ogres, mentally thanking her father figure, Goldeneye...she refused to call him the Dark One and while the curse was active, she couldn't call him Rumple. Still she was grateful to him. He had taught her so much...even how to play the violin, a talent that she kept secret mainly just to see the looks on people's faces when she finishes learning how to dubstep...it's not as easy as it looks. There was a lot of breathing exercises and flexibility training, not to mention learning how to dance… something that Ginny had insisted upon.

Regina Mills was one great big clusterfuck of angst with some serious abandonment issues. She couldn't really blame her...she kind of had that same problem but damn it, her mood swings gave her whiplash… then there was the entire issue with Graham...ugh, Ginny was still pissed off at her. Then cricket boy tried to stir up trouble and Ginny practically nailed his ass to a fucking wall _and_ he made Henry cry!

That kid...that sweet, highly perceptive kid...he had worked it out just as she had. She knew that for some reason, people were displaying the opposite of what they were truly feeling...that's how she knew how much they cared. The stronger the emotional response, the more they actually cared.


	40. Chapter 40: Operation Starsea

**Chapter 40: Operation Starsea**

The boy destined to be the Author had actually created yet another operation; Operation Cobra for breaking the curse, Operation Mongoose to help Ginny find her happy ending, and now Operation Starsea...he had chosen that name because the stars and seas were beautiful to look at but did not reveal their true natures; both were capable of producing life in some form or another but were also extremely dangerous, lethal to those that did not look beyond the surface and see what lay beneath.

Operation Starsea's main objective was to discover why people's emotions were opposite of what they truly felt and if possible, to break whatever spell or curse that caused it. Thus enabling Artz to finally be accepted by the denizens of Storybrooke but for Henry, he just wanted to hug her. She was his godmother and unofficial aunt, yet he couldn't stand to be around her for more than five minutes before ultimately running away.

Until the spell could be broken, Henry had started leaving notes for her to read, some of them turning into impromptu treasure hunts especially for holidays and their birthdays. Sweet Menti Celesti, she honestly loved that kid..._her godson_. That had been quite the shock when the Evil Queen designated her as the boy's godmother after Dr. Hopper's near crucifixion.

Gin basically told the whole town to fuck off with that little announcement and later that night, they ended up in yet another fight resulting in the redhead falling down the stairs. She didn't really remember much but she had heard her Ginny practically screaming for Graham to escort an ambulance to her home to take her to the hospital.

Artz had drifted in and out of consciousness a lot over the next few days, each time she woke, someone different was there and every time she dreamed, she saw the same thing, a hand plunged into her back and her chest bleeding profusely. The problem was that the hand in her back was holding her heart, not moving, not ripping it out...almost like it was trying to make it appear as if she were about to die, but in actuality, she wasn't. As for the injury to her chest, she wasn't quite sure who did it because the image kept changing from person to person.

What she did know was that Emma was being dragged away by her mother, screaming for them to save the dimensional traveler before ultimately disappearing. She knew that the blonde haired savior cared for her. Her precious _Swan Lake_ had fought the hardest to befriend her, only to end up yelling at her on a regular basis.

Their fights were usually one sided, mainly because Artz had just let the woman rant at her until it was out of her system. She was always demanding answers, fighting with her...she even slapped her once but that was a result of ripping away the blonde's mask so she saw that coming. The ginger had seen how frustrated Emma was with the whole situation, not able to comprehend why she kept saying such terrible things to Artz, treating her in such a non-Emma way. It confused the hell out of her which was one of the many reasons why the redhead refused to abandon her.


	41. Chapter 41: Red Sea

**Chapter 41: Red Sea**

Regina's reaction; however, was a bit more brutal, having left an actual visible scar. She still remembered the horrified look on her Ginny's face like she couldn't believe that she had hurt the Crimson haired woman at all. Artz did not regret her actions or pissing the mayor completely off because it saved the Huntsman _and_ got her Swan Lake some steamy one on one time with the former sheriff.

The only reason why she knew this was because she had stopped by the station to make certain that he was doing alright. She had been worried that returning his heart before the curse was broken might have negative repercussions but it turned out that she had nothing to worry about… why because her jaw quite literally dropped when she found him having his merry with the savior. _Holy shit_… she had never seen Emma be submissive… emotional yes, stubborn yes, emotionally constipated even but seeing her completely bending to Graham's will… _holy shit_.

Ironically...this worked out quite well in her favor. Though that hadn't been the reason for saving him...still with Emma dating the ex sheriff….more like dominating his girlfriend into full submission….seriously, Nubbins on fucking steroids. It allowed the ginger haired woman to take full advantage of this rather _golden_ opportunity to jump on the absolutely scrumptious, Killian Jones….of which had still not approached her which was starting to annoy her. What the hell did she have to do just to get one tiny moment with him?

Why...two reasons, the first reason was far more practical and actually had a logical purpose...the acquisition of the counterspell required to climb the beanstalk. She was not going to let Emma betray him and leave him stranded for hours only to be confronted by his former partner. Nope, not happening. The second reason...well it didn't serve any kind of actual purpose but it would give her a brief moment to have that man's attention focused completely on her..._and within snogging distan_ce.

The problem was getting him to stop focusing on the gossip biddies and to actually come talk to her. She honestly didn't know why it was so important for her to speak to him now when she could easily get the counterspell and the chance to talk to him later. She was hard pressed as it was just to keep herself from focusing on him too much as to avoid detection on both sides.

Killian Jones possessed some kind of magnetism or he was his own gravity well because she had to stop herself multiple times from simply walking up to him and kissing him. That kind of reaction had only occurred once before...the day she met the Evil Queen. Just a random event, she hadn't intended on becoming involved with her but it was like a moth to a flame.

Admittedly, the effect of the pirate completely outclassed the one from her Ginny but it was still the same feeling though. She had wanted to snog the Madame mayor right then and there which was insanely confusing and she was pretty sure that if it ever happened, several fandoms would explode, throw in one dashing rapscallion...yeah, the whole damn universe would become the fireworks finale for the Fourth of July.


	42. Chapter 42: Divergence

**Chapter 42: Divergence **

Okay….so simple gossip was not enough to initiate contact nor was simply exhibiting her core traits and skills being effective either. A more aggressive approach was required, but what sort of approach would yield the desired result? Her lips twitched slightly when she caught sight of the fiery Celtic woman.

_Of course_….Killian was currently undercover as a blacksmith, specifically a _cowardly_ blacksmith. If she could orchestrate an encounter between Rem and her rather obstinate captain, he would be forced into reacting like a coward to maintain his cover. Thereby enabling the _Crimson Savior_ to swoop in and _save_ him from the spitfire that was Remaria Beltone McCreedy.

The problem was creating a controlled situation without drawing the attention of the ogres, maintaining Killian's cover, and doing so in a timely manner because her time was extremely limited, the looming shadow of the Queen of Hearts ever present in her mind. She made certain that she had completed her self appointed mission...she now knew the names, faces, and stories of every man, woman, and child so she redirected her focus to the obstinate fool, trying her best to not think about what was to come...knowing that she would just end up in an absolute mess of tears.

The idiot was persistent and it felt like an eternity had passed before he finally disappeared, most likely answering the call of nature. She wasted no time in snagging Rem and Lily, both agreeing to help her get her man. Yep, that was what they called him; _her man, her blacksmith, her captain_ (Rem)_, _and every other variation imaginable. It was sweet of them to say that though she didn't honestly believe that anything would come of it.

The redhead knew that she wasn't giving herself enough credit but she was the Queen of self sabotage. No one could blame her for her utter lack of self-esteem given how she has been treated thus far. She just couldn't see anything substantial actually developing between them...she might be able to convince him to at least take her virginity. He was a man after all and by using everything she knows about him, she could manipulate him into doing what she wanted.

There was a problem with this rationality. The pirate captain had been exhibiting some very odd behavior. His persistence in learning more about her, the scope and depth of his inquiries, the complete lack of subtlety, his near constant vigil of her, his body language and facial expressions...but it was his eyes that caused her to have butterflies in her stomach and constantly fighting the urge to blush redder than a tomato.

His eyes were constantly raking over her physical body in what was _definitely_ an appreciative manner, almost like he was genuinely pleased with what he was seeing. She felt completely exposed when his eyes dilated just from looking at her. She was honestly taken off guard by just how expressive his radiant blue orbs were. The Killian Jones she knew always hid his emotions, burying them deep within and slipping on a mask of sass and charm. It was a mask she was quite familiar with for she had her own mask to hide behind, but ever since she woke up in the encampment, that mask was noticeably absent.


	43. Chapter 43: Echoes of Durga

**Chapter 43: Echoes of Durga**

The crimson haired woman had tried and failed to put the mask in place so that she could cope with the rejection and scorn bound to come her way, but then she saw him. In a single moment, her mask completely vanished and her emotions were on display for all to see. She had definitely been frightened when she realized that she couldn't conceal her heart so she distracted herself by gathering the wild creatures called children and helped them sing a song from the animated feature _Mulan 2_.

Seeing the looks of relief from the adults, she came to the conclusion that, at the very least, she was not a threat to the young ones. When the children gathered around her after she sat down begging and pleading with her to tell them a story, she was beyond shocked. No child in Storybrooke dared get close to her, commonly crying or screaming when she drew too close to them by accident. She almost started crying, she actually did shed a tear when a little boy named William climbed into her lap and said that he liked the pretty lady.

That single comment alone made her heart soar to the sky and beyond, her eyes glowing in a soft electric blue light. William brought her back to Earth when he wrapped his fingers around her Tardis pendant. She smiled at him and decided to tell them the story of her personal hero; the champion of the stars, the hero of time, and the saver of worlds. The once wild little tykes were completely enraptured by this most thrilling tale and the longer she was with them, the happier she became.

These children were not afraid of her, they liked her, cared for her, and were happy that she was with them. It was one of the happiest moments of her life, but then the children were summoned for mealtime and she was once again on her own. For a brief moment, she thought that the inhabitants of the encampment were about to turn against her, only to be approached by a blondish brown haired woman..._wheat_ or _barley_, not a dark blonde but not a brunette either...she settled on wheat due to the blonde being more predominant of the two hair colors.

Imagine her surprise when the young woman smiled brightly at her, thanking her for her help with the little hellions called children, and even introduced herself..._Lilith Romana Avalon_. Artz damn near had a heart attack because she had created a character with that exact name, heck she was even pretty close to the physical description and even went by the nickname of _Lily_.

The wheat haired woman smiled softly at her, a rather familiar look of fond exasperation in her eyes. That was weird...it almost felt like she and Lily had met before which was impossible yet the instant the woman took her hand, her emotions calmed. She raised an eyebrow because she was now about eighty seven percent sure that Lily possessed either some form of magic or a variant of empathy similar to Jasper from the _Twilight_ saga.

It certainly didn't stop her from dragging Artz all over the place so that she could keep her mind occupied and her heart relatively calm. Things went sideways when she started having difficulties with simpler tasks and her emotions started surging; mainly frustration for not being able to do what normal people could do, anger because it made her feel so useless, a growing apprehension as she continued messing up, and fear began to trickle in every time she lost sight of Killian.

Fortunately a woman named Monica noticed her heightened emotional state and asked for her help with a rather knotted and stringy conundrum. She almost sighed in relief, her brain immediately switching to probability mapping, by far one of the best skills she had and it usually made her feel refreshed from solving a complex problem. Unfortunately, the task ended too quickly and she floundered about a bit.

A man named Charlie ran over to her and asked if she would mind accompanying their hunting party. Apparently, food and provisions were in rather short supply due to the aftermath of the Dark Curse and some rather bothersome ogres. She was more than happy to help, especially when the Captain of the Jolly Roger shadowed them. He kept watching over her and she knew that he was starting to get confused because she was quite adept at hunting and foraging.

She wasn't half bad at tracking either...twenty eight years and a not so evil queen insisting that a certain Huntsman turned Sheriff teach the ginger everything she needed to know about surviving in the wild. To this day, she still didn't understand why Ginny had been so insistent. She asked Goldeneye about it and his best guess was that the mayor wanted her to know everything the sheriff knew in order to have a competent leader in a crisis when neither she nor Graham were unavailable or elsewhere.

She had given him a look that said _Why do I not believe you_? He simply smirked and gave her a knowing look. He may be her father figure but he was still a twisted little imp of a lizard man. A comment she vocalized, resulting in the not so Dark One laughing quite heartily. It was one of the few moments about her life in Storybrooke that she loved and would cherish it forever. Who else can say that they made the legendary Dark Wizard and her captain's notorious Crocodile laugh for a good solid three minutes?

After a short but rather successful hunt, some of the warriors wanted to show her how to use a variety of weapons and she fought desperately to keep the smirk off her face, listening attentively while they explained. Then came the practical application of their _teachings_, only to have their butts handed to them by a five foot nine inches tall girl that weighed less than one hundred and fifty pounds.

When it came to weapons, she was naturally gifted. Every weapon or tool she picked up, she knew exactly how to use it or wield it...though to be fair, she specialized more in swordsmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand combat. She was only slightly better than average with everything else but that's because she didn't practice constantly. Her favored weapons were a bow, a pair of short swords, a reverse blade katana, a staff, mixed martial arts and a pressure point technique that she learned by watching _Xena: Warrior Princess_.

When they finally moved on to archery, the smirk that she had been fighting made its way onto her face at last and they immediately paled. She made certain to emphasize that the bow was something she was highly proficient and skilled with; short, mid, and long ranges, stationary targets, moving targets, multiple targets, and quite a wide variety of vectors including some rather tricky shots, some shots that were insanely difficult to target accurately, but her favorite kind of targets were the ones that required the archer to ricochet off other objects in order to actually hit them at all.

She simply calculated the distance to the target while factoring in the momentum required to reach the target, adjusting for the decreasing kinetic energy as it hit each object, and then determined the specific degree of each angle needed to achieve a successful shot. For her, this was incredibly fun because it was one of those rare moments where she could actually show off and not be shunned for her strangeness. Pre-curse breaking people thought she was some kind of medieval freak with an unhealthy obsession for archaic methodologies and customs.

Now though, she was in the _Enchanted Forest_ where such skills are not only required for the continuance of survival but also revered and respected because of the discipline needed to gain mastery of that weapon. In fact, they actually called her a weapons master and a master forger because of her innate abilities in regards to weapon utilization and the knowledge and skill required to identify the materials used, the process in which it was made, and the creation of duplicate weapons but with a quality superior to the originals.

The crimson haired dimensional traveler had actually stood there and blinked owlishly at them because that was some pretty high fucking praise that she was pretty sure that she didn't deserve. After getting over the initial shock, people started challenging her to a test of archery skills, mainly to evaluate their own proficiency with the bow. It was the first time that she didn't feel Killian's gaze so she glanced about inconspicuously for him and she felt a sharp ping of disappointment slice through her heart, her expression becoming subdued and crestfallen.

The ginger hadn't meant to chase him away. She just got so caught up in the moment and now he was gone. Maybe he thought she was a freak too or worse..._an enemy_. That thought nearly had her in tears but then a certain feisty Celtic woman with a remarkable resemblance to Merida from _Once Upon A Time_ and a similar tone and lilt practically pounced on her. The redhead was not entirely comfortable with how the fiery ginger kept invading her space..._like they had known each other for years instead of min_utes.

Said ginger dropped one hell of a bombshell when she told Artz that she knew who Killian was and was more than willing to introduce her to him but the crimson savior declined, unwilling to create an even bigger division than she believed she already had. Then the spitfire issued a formal challenge and identified herself as _Remaria Beltone McCreedy _...yet another character she had created for her stories a long time ago though Rem did keep her voice down when telling the redhead her name. Apparently she had a bit of a reputation for pulverizing many a man's royal jewels into figurative mulch, a downside to being a physically attractive and highly independent woman. So many men wanted to _conquer_ her and thus the reason why she was trying to keep a low profile.

The dimensional traveler accepted the challenge but on the condition that should she win, her rather obstinate opponent would fire up the rumor mill to suss out just how Killian Jones felt about her and perhaps result in a proper introduction. Rem agreed on the condition that if she won, that Artz and the _blacksmith_ would be _meetin' and greetin'_. Once sorted, the challenge began and to her credit, the fiery ginger was actually quite good, most definitely an expert archer, but there was something in the way she used it. Her stance, her technique, and overall performance seemed like an echo of her own, not a carbon copy and obviously lacking a certain refinement but there was a definitive influence that simply could not be ignored.

The redhead had yet another puzzle to solve; an opposites spell making everyone in Storybrooke treat her like shit or simply non-existent, the strange warmth and familiarity that she had with both the Crocodile and the Snow Queen, her rather volatile friendship with the not so evil Queen, the extreme aversion of the Huntsman, the almost obsessive compulsion that caused the savior to seek her out time and again, the still unknown circumstances surrounding the distinct lack of Belle after the curse was broken, her papa's motivations for summoning the wraith like creature given that Belle was currently not a defining factor, and why his eyes looked so ancient, so tired, a burden so heavy that it caused him such bone crushing sorrow and heart wrenching guilt, and the intense shift of emotion from those she cared for like Rumple and his ancient eyes, Ingrid and her sorrowful gaze, Emma and her enraged glare, and more importantly, the look of utter contempt and hatred in Snow's eyes.

Now in the Enchanted Forest, a new list of mysteries was being made; the sudden emergence of magic from herself, her miraculous recovery after being slammed into a rather hard surface with a shit ton of debris using her body like a fucking trampoline, the quite blatantly obsessing Killian Jones constantly watching her and staring at her with such intense desire, the children's almost immediate liking of her, the sheer amount of positivity, acknowledgment, respect, admiration, and kindness being shown to her from the villagers, the existence of a possibly empathic woman named Lily that was very similar to an OC of hers, and now, the crazy ginger named Rem that had met her captain before in Neverland, was a dead ringer for Merida, and whose archery style seemed heavily influenced by her own.


	44. Chapter 44: Rem vs Killian

**Chapter 44: Rem vs. Killian**

Lily played her part which spurred Rem into confronting the dark clad pirate. She had started to wander over in that direction when she felt a sharp pain in her right side and her lungs felt so damn full. Her gaze had snapped over to her captain and she realized that the pain was coming from him. _No, no, no...damn it! _She hadnt meant for Rem to accidentally try to kill him. _Shit_!

Artz admittedly reacted a bit harsher than necessary, her magic responding to her panicked state. She actually flung the Celtic girl into the side of one of the storage sheds, but she couldn't focus on her. When she tried to touch him, he had jerked away from her...he actually whimpered in pain.

Her mind raced, trying desperately to think of a solution and she heard Kyubei's voice in her mind..._Sing, little star, and you will heal him. Music is the easiest way to use your magic right now, so sing… sing of the golden flower_.

Of course! The healing incantation from the movie, _Tangled_! She focused her entire being into the words, her power pushing into him and through him, forcing his rib back into place, removing the blood both internally and externally, and by the end of the song, he was fully healed.

She thought for sure that he would thank her, but he simply stayed the way he was, his face completely hidden from her. _Did...did he hate her?_ Everyone else had been so kind..._was he the exception_? She asked him and she could feel how his body tensed. She practically felt everything he was feeling but it only seemed to work for him and no one else.

No, he didn't hate her...he was afraid. She didn't want him to be afraid of her. She asked if she could sing for him, that she wouldn't look and she was relieved when he nodded his head. Tears filled her eyes as she sang the song that she had picked just for him so long ago..._The Davy Jones theme_. A song of the sea for a man of the sea.

She felt his emotions shift and it hurt. He felt so conflicted and _it was her fault_. The tears finally spilled down her cheeks and she didn't bother to stop them. She just stayed...because she was selfish. In this moment, he was letting her touch him, to be with him...Rem finally got her act together and started spouting off her mouth.

Artz felt a spike of rage from her captain. She could feel his bloodlust, his need for revenge..._no, no more, no more_. She was tired and fed up and pissed and hurt and she was silently crying and this asshole wouldn't even look at her. She spoke to Rem in an even tone, making her captain believe that she was killing the Celtic girl.

Remaria...she was quite the little actress, taking cues from the ginger's movements and adjusting accordingly...though she had been legitimately shocked that he had almost died which is why she put on one hell of a performance. She was willing to do anything to get him to respond and one final verbal cue and down went Rem.

Within moments, he was getting up, genuinely panicking because he thought she was killing someone. He didn't even notice that she was crying when she smirked and did her best River Song impression. Bloody hell, the look on his face...it made her heart speed up and then she dropped the bombshell and oh his face was priceless.

She did try to wipe away the evidence of her tears while Rem was talking to him, only for her to blatantly point it out to him. _Ouch_. The pain he felt from seeing her cry...just _ouch_. Then the idiot goes and calls himself a coward and she hadn't meant to but she slapped him. He wasn't a coward..._but she was_. If she had just approached him like everyone else...her magic flowed into her right hand and she reached towards him.

There was a flash of fear as he flinched away and she would admit..._that hurt_, but then he surprised her by grabbing her wrist and apologizing with his eyes. He hadn't meant to hurt her, it was just a preconditioned response drilled into him by Kora. Still...the look on his face when she used her magic on him...he looked like he was high as a kite and when she removed her hand, he had instinctively grabbed it, only to realize what he had done and released it while looking away.

_Damn it_! Stop looking away! She entwined her fingers with his and used her other hand to turn his face towards her and she smirked. Oh...this was going to be good...not to mention, advantageous. She guided him out of camp, a little surprised that he had come along so easily, and deep into the woods. She did not want any eavesdroppers.


	45. Chapter 45: Curiosity

**Chapter 45: Curiosity**

Flirting was not her forte, being a sassy and sarcastic little shit was definitely her thing, yet for some reason, she found it remarkably easy to flirt with him and even easier to pickpocket him. She wanted to laugh so hard at his face...it practically screamed _Why is she still here?_

She wasn't entirely certain why she tried to _seduce_ him but she was more than a little shocked when she felt his raging hard on and even more surprised that he seemed _willing_ to take her virginity. _Was he being serious? Would he actually do that for her?_

She had to know for sure, so she kissed him and his reaction was instant. He responded so passionately that it actually frightened her; especially when he broke the kiss to lay out his cloak. He was on top of her in seconds and between his lips and the constant grinding, she just said to hell with it and basically told him to be as rough as he wanted to be with her.

When he asked if this was a dream, she would admit to panicking because _what if it was a dream_? When he promised to make it a reality, his eyes changed colors and her entire body went berserk. _Mirrored obsidian_...Hook..._he was in there_. This man wasn't just Killian Jones, her Poseidon, her god of the sea...he was also James Hook, _her beloved captain_.

That realization changed everything for her because she wanted him, _all of him_, every part and _she wanted him __**now**_. She practically tried to tear his clothes off and only ended up with her upper half exposed and _holy shit_! For a guy with one hand and a wicked tongue, he was damn good and he found an involuntary action that even she didn't know that she had.

The junction of her neck and shoulder, very near the typical place where the classic vampires would bite...it was a turn on point and the bastard used it too, but she got him back..._more like on his back_. She had always been curious about the sensitivity of a man's penis...especially when it was already engorged and insanely stiff.

It was quite the sight to behold and then she got her hands on it and the sounds coming from her captain were so incredibly empowering because _she_ was doing that. _She_ was making him feel pleasure which made her take the next step, only to get a surprise. She hadn't expected him to come so quickly so she hadn't been prepared, gagging and coughing a bit from trying to breathe in the foreign substance.

What was odd was that it tasted good. His sperm actually tasted very good...kind of like sea salt ice cream and a touch of cinnamon. The look on his face when she swallowed the rest...just _wow_...he couldn't take his eyes off her and she loved seeing those obsidian orbs. She allowed herself to indulge her curiosity, loving the expressions coming and going on his face.

And when she let that curiosity show, she swore that his member got harder and hotter. As a reward, she tried out a few things and the result was a lot of cum. He had peaked so hard that she had to swallow several times before she could even breathe and then that _growl_.

She stared at him, frozen...mainly due to the effect that growl had on her body. One simple sound had her so aroused that it took a few moments to realize that he had stripped her of her remaining clothing and those hot, black pools raked over her body and she became self conscious, trying to cover up and he ordered her not to, but she couldn't help it.

She knew her body wasn't all that great and she had quite a few scars. She looked away from him, hating herself when she started crying...even apologizing to him. Now it was her turn to not look...she could still feel his gaze and her body turned into a fucking battleground, insecurity and desire warring for control.

_'Petrichor'_

That word...it triggered something inside of her. She stopped trying to hide and even loosely hugged him but then her mind turned inwards and she was falling into the abyss. So many images were flashing by, she couldn't hold on to any of them, but she did know one thing..._they were memories_.

She didn't know how she knew that but as she fell deeper, she lost what little feeling she had left with her body. She started to panic because she couldn't stop falling and there was a sound..._a terrible, terrible sound_...she was screaming but it was a memory. She knew that her world was gone but she had always believed that she hadn't been the only one to survive.

She was sure of it and she felt a powerful surge of warmth along with countless other positive emotions. She wanted to stay there...it felt so wonderful and the scream came back but so much louder. A sharp crack of pain lanced through her mind and she started to become aware of her body again.

She heard Killian whispering apologies into her ear before another sharp pang ricocheted through her. She realized what he was doing...he was making her feel. The first pain was him ripping through her barrier and the subsequent pains were him slamming into her. Her body was reacting of its own accord, crying out in pain, but in her mind, the pain was pretty mild now.

It took a while of him ramming her and a shit ton of effort on her part just to get her body to obey her mind. She had never felt such a disconnect before and then he asked what happened to her. She didn't know but it had been bad..._very bad_...and for the first time since waking up in this universe, _she felt truly alone_.


	46. Chapter 46: Hidden Truth

**Chapter 46: Hidden Truth**

She didn't want to dwell on this feeling because it scared her and she felt her mind trying to disconnect again, so she took matters into her own hands. She threatened him, silenced him with one hell of a kiss, and proceeded to explore him with her mouth and hands. His muscles were taut from the effort it was taking to restrain himself.

That simply would not do...he started something and he was damn sure going to finish it. She increased the intensity of her exploration but he held firm. _Stubborn bastard_! Then she remembered how he reacted to her brushing through his hair, massaging the scalp and she could feel his resolve beginning to waver.

She knew what would send him over the edge and make him attack her like a wild animal..._her magic_. She started off with a little and he groaned in pleasure, starting to move slightly. She increased the amount and he started moving faster and harder but then she gave him a huge surge that had him assaulting her.

Sweet lord...whatever pain she had felt before went bye bye as new pains popped up. The mix of pain and pleasure made her magic flare and she accidentally shoved almost triple the amount from before into him and his actions became rougher and stronger and _holy shit_! _Damn it, she was so fucking happy right now_! Pun intended of course.

Artz never expected anything like this to happen to her. Hell she thought she would either die a virgin or be raped, but instead she had given her once in a lifetime gift to _The Captain of the Jolly Roger_! Sure it wasn't perfect...the beginning had been great until she got all stupid and a majorly fucked up mind trip...but now..._she was in heaven_.

Then the asshat had the gall to stop and then she found out why..._two hands_...her magic..._oh shit_...she started crying but then her captain took control and sweet Menti Celesti...she has totally been missing out! These new sensations were making her mind explode, rational thought was almost entirely impossible.

The only reason why she could somewhat think was because he kept trying to be gentle. She didn't want gentleness, damn it! She wanted him at his darkest and most carnal self, to experience the ferocity of The Scourge of the Sea, so she used her magic to do it.

She could feel it...he was exhausted so she just kept pumping magic into him so he could keep going and then he found the G spot, the magical point inside her that made her lose complete control over her senses. He kept hitting it again and again...she felt like she was coming undone, practically flying in a thousand different directions.

She was close and this one was going to be the most powerful. He came once and before he could come down, she climaxed screaming out his name which made him peak a second time. She felt him pass out and he rolled to the side, bringing her with him. The idiot was still fully sheathed inside her but she didn't care.

She snuggled into him and even out cold, he subconsciously reacted by wrapping his arms around her and tucking his chin over her shoulder. _Warm...he was so warm_. An image flashed through her mind and even in her fatigued state, she understood what it meant.

_They had met before_. They were sitting on the ledge at the back of the ship, watching the sun set. She heard the flute as the image faded. _She knew the song...The Inner Light. Killian...what happened?_

Her eyes slowly drooped, her exhaustion fully kicking in and relishing in the warmth of her _lover_...her mind trying to stay awake long enough to understand. _They had met before...they had met before...__**she had loved him**__...but she couldn't remember how it felt to love him_. _What happened to them and would it happen again?_


	47. Chapter 47: Fire and Ice

**Chapter 47: Fire and Ice**

Her mind snapped back to reality as the horse slowed down and there it was..._the beanstalk_. She didn't have much time so she dismounted the horse, thanking its rider, knowing full well that whoever it was...she was not Rem, but seeing as how she had inflicted no harm to the now blonde, she saw no reason to call her out on it.

She simply turned and slowly made her way towards her destination, trying not to focus on how bloody hot she was. Why did Emma's magic have to be so damn hot?! It felt like lava was running through her veins. Why couldn't her magic be cooler like her mother's..._Ingrid's_...Damn it, who was she kidding. Ingrid had completely monopolized the mother role and she loved her for that.

The Snow Queen had saved her life when the townspeople began to shift to the negative end of the emotional spectrum. She hadn't been kidding when she thought that she was going to be raped. She had come close once...about ten months after she had arrived.

She had just finished making Regina a gift to celebrate the first anniversary of the curse being enacted. The Queen had been working really hard to learn everything she needed to know and do as mayor. Artz had been helping her a lot and she was so proud of her new friend.

She had left the pawn shop about ten minutes ago when she was surrounded by a group of men. There was five of them and she tried to move past them without a fuss but they pushed her to the ground, the gift she had worked so hard on, shattering on the asphalt, but she didn't have time to worry about that because they pushed her fully into the ground, her right arm and part of her side being ground into the rather sharp shards below her.

She tried to yell for help but was soon gagged. She fought like hell to keep them off her, resulting in several bruises and a broken wrist...the wrist breaking as a result of them wrenching her hands behind her back and tying them tightly with two of their belts...so she started kicking only to have one of them slide in between her legs while another tied her ankles with two more belts.

She felt the tears coming...especially when they ripped open her shirt and shredded her bra. She screamed against the gag as they assaulted her breasts, the one in between her legs unbuttoning her jeans and sliding his hand inside. She felt his fingers inside her and she would admit that she started crying. She full on bawled when the last belt started being slapped against her exposed skin.

Her jeans were cut away with a pocket knife as was her underwear and the asshole started in with his tongue. _Was this how she was going to lose her virginity… raped by a group of random men just off main street? _

She tensed when the one assaulting her womanhood started undoing his pants and she stared in shock..._because he was frozen...no, he literally turned to ice, his entire body crystallizing into a complete block of ice_. The other four soon followed and she heard a snap and their frozen bodies disintegrated into piles of snow and she saw who had just murdered five men..._The Snow Queen…._what the hell?! It was too soon for her to be here!

When Ingrid tried to approach her, the red head panicked and started scooting back, only to cut herself even more on the shards around her.

_'I won't hurt you. I will never hurt you. Please...let me help.'_

Artz didn't know why she had trusted The Snow Queen but she was glad that she did. Ingrid took such good care of her and she commonly tag-teamed with Goldeneye to make certain that she was well looked after. Her adoptive parents...she snorted… the crocodile and the ice witch...she just loved her life sometimes.

She slipped on some leaves but managed to catch herself by grabbing onto a nearby tree and she was surprised when she pulled her arm away..._scorched_...the bark was scorched, blackened and sizzling. _What the fuck?!_ She looked behind her and sure enough, there was a trail of scorch marks on the ground and everything she had touched.

Which begged the question..._how were her clothes staying intact_? Her _papa_, Goldeneye had made a good chunk of her wardrobe with her _mum_'s help. Maybe they did something to the fabric...it did make her wonder if she should even try to climb the beanstalk in her condition but then she remembered the Queen of Hearts.

There wasn't time for her to recover. She needed to get that compass before that heartless bitch did...her thoughts shifted to the rather nasty wake up call..._screaming_.


	48. Chapter 48: Fight or Flight

**Chapter 48: Fight or Flight**

She had been pretty out of it when she first woke up, even calling out to Killian who had seemingly vanished. Were it not for the rather familiar looking flute in her hands and the fact that her body felt like mush...she would have thought that the whole thing had really been a dream.

There was more screaming as she stumbled to her feet, initially moving towards the camp before her own fear paralyzed her. Kora was a powerful witch with great knowledge and skill in her craft and Artz was the novice with newly awakened magic that only ever seemed to work properly on her captain. _Could she defeat Kora? Could she truly stand against the Queen of Hearts?_

An image of her captain flickered through her mind; _the way he looked at her, the way he touched her, the way he marveled over her hair, the way he made love to her_… she couldn't do it. She couldn't face Kora … not on her own. She couldn't throw her life away by trying to fight a battle she knew she would not win and it made her stomach lurch in response. She couldn't let herself die..._not now_… Killian …when the hell did she become so selfish?

Then she heard her wheat colored haired friend, Lily, screaming before becoming silent and after a few more recognizable screams..._she ran...she ran away...she was a fucking coward_. She didn't know just how far away she had run off too but when she stumbled across a stream, she collapsed onto one of the larger rocks, trying not to cry.

All she seemed to be doing lately is crying and she fucking hated it! She had run away! She abandoned them! Her friends, Rem and Lily...they were dead. She could have at least saved them, but she had been too busy sleeping after fucking her captain!

Okay...she didn't regret getting it on with Killian because it wasn't just about her wanting him. He had wanted her and badly too with that insane hard on and they hadn't even gotten to the foreplay. They had barely even spoken! Seriously! Their conversation in the forest had gone from _her inside joke of saying hello_ to _pickpocketing/ introductions_ to _flirting/ seducing_ then shifted gears and straight into _foreplay/sex_.

She pulled herself up onto the rock so she could sit more comfortably, her hands all jittery from the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. Artz wasn't sure what to do now. She was out in the middle of nowhere, she was alone in ogre infested woods, she had literally left her friends and all those innocent people to die...just to save her own skin.

Her mind drifted to a certain blonde haired savior. She knew...Emma would never forgive her for this...for running away, for being a coward, for not lifting a single finger to save them, for being so fucking selfish. What little bit of friendship they had was going to die because of this.

She loved Emma...she hadn't meant to get so involved with the blonde savior, mainly wanting to work behind the scenes to help, but Emma kept seeking her out. She doubted that the blonde even realized just how much she had come to rely on the ginger. She knew that her friend used her as a moral compass, an informal therapist, an information broker, and a glorified guidance counselor.

As a result, Artz Lanaria had finally gotten what she always wanted..._a sister_...yet even that seemed wrong. The red head knew that something was missing or maybe _someone_. There had been her elder brother, Trinity, and her good buddy, Anthony, and all the people that she talked to online, but...there was a hole, an empty void that didn't belong.

_Is that why she felt so alone_? Why it was so difficult to believe that she was special? Honestly, she viewed herself as inconsequential and irrelevant to the events happening around her. She felt like she didn't belong..._anywhere_...even here in The Enchanted Forest where there was magic and mayhem, quests and treasures, mythical beings and a whole new world for her to explore..._but she didn't belong_.

All those people she had left to die, they had been so kind to her. They didn't hate her or ignore her. They acknowledged her existence, asked for her help, sought out her opinion, treated her like an actual human being..._The Crimson Savior_...that's what they had called her. _Some savior she turned out to be_.

She couldn't go back but she also couldn't face Emma and the others. Killian was gone..._he chose revenge over her_. Had she really expected him to just _give up_ on killing _The Crocodile_? His absence told her everything she needed to know, verifying what she already knew.

_She was not special, she was not important, she did not have meaning, she was nothing, she didn't belong, she was unwanted and unneeded...nobody truly cared_.


	49. Chapter 49: Inner Light

**Chapter 49: Inner Light**

Rumple and Ingrid were villains, so whatever spell or curse that made people feel the opposite of their true emotions..._it was reversed for them_. She had worked it out so long ago, but she couldn't let them go. She loved them...so, so much...and Regina, she only cared about Henry and Artz had simply been useful. The Queen would toss her aside eventually.

Snow and David, they had each other and a daughter and a grandson...a whole new life to live. Emma had Graham now so she was going to have the _happy beginning_ she always wanted but just a whole lot sooner. Everyone had someone, new lives to live, everyone would move on, and she would disappear..._Killian_.

She clutched the small metal flute tightly, holding it against her chest as she cried silent tears. She was so selfish...by saving Graham, she had destroyed Killian's future. He and Emma would not fall in love or get married or have a child..._Hope_. That child would never be born now because she had ripped the threads of fate apart, trying to shove herself in there, to weave herself into this world.

She knew the truth...a truth she had been running from since she had woken up in Storybrooke. She didn't want to face it, to accept it, because it would break her. It would break her so badly and so much that she wouldn't be Artz anymore. One simple truth that was constantly slammed into her face.

_Artz Gallifreya Lanaria was not supposed to exist in this reality._

Damn it...she just couldn't believe it. Even now, she was still holding on to the promise of her name. Artz Lanaria literally translated was Doctor Moon, but when defined as an abstraction, it meant _Reflection of The Doctor_. Gallifreya was Gallifrey's largest and brightest moon, a celestial body reflecting the light of the twin suns that shone on the homeworld of the Time Lords.

That was all she was..._a reflection_. She held no substance, no depth. She was shallow, an impression, a mere copy of the original...she couldn't even call herself a duplicate or a clone..._she really was nothing_.

_An empty shell compelled to rise again and again by a stolen promise and a name that she dared to call her own_.

'_**Artz**_.'

Her head snapped up, looking around for the origin of the mysterious voice. That hadn't been Kyubei. The contractor had a high pitch voice, very much like a young boy's voice, but whoever had spoken was definitely female, had sounded older somewhere in the twenties range, had a slight southern lilt to her tone, and she had sounded so familiar...so much so that her heart felt like it was being crushed inside her chest.

'_**My Doctor**_.'

"Who are you?" Artz whispered her voice cracking from crying so much.

The only answer she received was silence. Was she finally losing her mind? Was she finally cracking after all this time? What did she expect? After everything she's been through...she has lost so much...what was left? What reason could she possibly have to keep going? She had nothing to live for or die for or fight for...no reason or purpose...betrayed and abandoned by every friend she has ever made. Why did she exist at all?

She was pulled from her thoughts when the water from the stream rose up into the air and floated in front of her. Her eyes were wide in surprise as it formed into the general shape of a man. He stood on the surface of the stream and was looking straight at her.

"Stop moping about, wench." The water man spoke and she recognized the voice.

He had called her _wench_. It was The Fourth Captain, James Hook...the only man in the whole of creation that she was willing to obey.

"Is that an order, Captain?" She asked internally cringing at how hollow she sounded.

"I would say yes, but my godson would blast me into a wall. He's getting quite good at controlling his sound waves." Hook answered nonchalantly.

"Why are you here?" She asked genuinely curiously.

Instead of answering verbally, the water from his body flowed into her, being absorbed by her body and she shivered from the drop in her core body temperature..._but she didn't feel alone anymore_.

"To give back what you entrusted to me… _your inner light_." He finally answered as his voice drifted away.

She had tried to get him to come back, but he was gone. Whatever it was that she had absorbed into her body had filled her up, when before she had felt so empty. She smiled as she wiped away her tears. She was grateful...simply knowing that the Blood Guard existed and that they were trying to help all the different versions of her across an infinite number of realities, it meant more than she could ever say or express.


	50. Chapter 50: Celestial Melody

**Chapter 50: Celestial Melody**

She flinched as a spike of panic cut through her mind, scattering her thoughts. It was followed by pain, resolve...then fear. A terribly cold dread and a frigid terror coursed through her system. Where was it coming from?

'_Where is she? I can't...I can't lose her...not now. I only just found her...my precious celestial goddess_.'

Killian! It was Killian! All these emotions that she was feeling, they were coming from him. She had been able to somewhat sense his emotions before they had slept together, but now...clear as day but why? Why was he feeling this way? Was it because of her...but didn't he choose revenge over her?

'_Was she taken? I left her...I left her all alone...without any kind of protection. Damn that blasted witch! I never should have left her! My Star...she's gone._'

The crimson haired woman cried out in pain, her heart screaming in anguish. Killian..._he cared...he cared for her_. He didn't leave her because of his need for revenge. He left because he was trying to protect her! Oh she was so stupid!

She had forgotten about a certain part of this episode where Killian had met up with Kora after she had gathered the ashes of the wardrobe and _before_ the encampment was attacked. What if he hadn't shown up at this designated meeting? Would the Queen of Hearts have come looking for him… finding him with _her_? Oh Killian...he left so that she wouldn't find out about them, _about her_.

She could feel his mind going numb, his heart in utter chaos...so much pain but she didn't know where he was. How was she supposed to find him? She heard a clank and looked down, the flute she had been holding had slipped from her grasp and had collided with her Tardis pendant.

'_Music is the easiest way to use your magic right now._'

'To give back what you entrusted to me… _your inner light_'

_Inner Light_...clever, very clever, Captain, but that left her with a problem. _She didn't know how to play the flute_. She picked up the small metal instrument, remembering what she had seen before falling asleep. Killian had been playing that song with this flute. The only way he could have known it was if she had taught it to him… _and this flute_, it was almost identical to the one Captain Picard had during the episode, _The Inner Light_.

She felt Killian's heart ripping itself apart. There wasn't a choice. She had to try...for him..._for her Captain_..._for her God of the Sea_. She placed her lips over the top of the flute, her fingers automatically slipping into position, and she started to play. She had thought that it would have sounded terrible, given that she had never been able to play the flute worth a damn back in Storybrooke, but it sounded just right.

The wind blew through the trees, making her shiver...damn, it got cold at night and didn't help that the Fourth Captain had made her core body temperature drop so she was shaking pretty badly. She stopped playing when her fingers started cramping up. She rubbed them on her pants, trying to generate heat from the friction.

She returned to playing and tried her best to ignore how the biting wind was making her feel like a meat popsicle. She swore under her breath in Old High Gallifreyan, her fingers hurting from the cold. She blew on them, rubbed them together, and returned to playing.

She could feel him..._he heard it_. Killian had heard the flute, but every time she stopped playing, he became terrified. She had to keep going and started playing again, only to wince when she felt his pain. Idiot must have fallen from not paying attention to his surroundings.

Her fingers locked up again and she had to stop playing so she could warm up her hands, but this time was different..._relief_. Her Captain was feeling relief, a very powerful surge of relief at that. He had found her but she wanted to finish the song, wanting him to remember what she had earlier and so she played...and _ouch_.

She knew that feeling...like she had touched something she wasn't supposed to but she realized that it was Killian that felt that way and the more he tried to hold on to whatever it was that had caused the pain..._holy shit, he blanked_. Artz had experienced this phenomenon before back before she had been prescribed ADHD medication.

She experienced two types; the overload and the blanking. When she overloaded, her thoughts kept crashing into themselves, moving so quickly that she couldn't think or speak and she did not feel safe when she couldn't think. Thinking kept her alive and gave her the ability to get out of the worst situations.

Blanking was pretty much the opposite. All thoughts would cease inside her head. The only problem was that she was actually aware of that fact. All her senses still worked, registering input, but when she came back online, she was utterly confused, not knowing what she was saying or doing...having completely forgotten.


	51. Chapter 51: Shining Sea

**Chapter 51: Shining Sea**

Killian had just gone through a blanking spell...still didn't stop her from surprising him. She could feel his trepidation..._idiot_. She wasn't going to push him away or reject him because he had come back to her. He was worried though, worried about how she would react and uncertain of just how much she knew, so she just blurted it out and she almost smirked from how blindsided he was.

When he asked how, it was her turn to be frightened. She had to tell him, she needed to tell him and when he said that he would believe anything she told him, she was so unsure. Then he said that if she told him that the sky was orange and the grass was red that he would believe her.

_Gallifrey_.

He had just described two aspects of the planet that the Time Lords called home; a burnt orange sky, fields of red grass, and trees with silver leaves. Two out of three gave her enough courage to blurt out the knowledge of the tv show called _Once Upon a Time_. Then it was her turn to be blindsided...because he believed her.

As they continued to talk, he reminded her more and more of the Third Captain, her shield, her beloved Poseidon and when he asked her to use her magic to remove the wretched tattoo with that bitch's name, her thoughts of her God of the Sea translated into giving him a new tattoo on the back of his right hand.

_The trident within the prism_.

It was the mark of Poseidon of the Prism Guard. She tried to apologize and explain, only for him to kiss her so passionately that she almost jumped him for round two. It didn't help that he kept looking at her like she was some kind of angel or goddess. His emotions were so strong...it frightened her, the intensity was staggering and she knew..._hell he knew_...he was in love with her.

She wanted to say that she felt the same, but she couldn't. She didn't know what it was supposed to feel like inside of herself. She could barely identify it in him because it kept overpowering her own heart and making her head all foggy.

Then reality went back to being the fucking bitch it was and she told him. She told him what she did or rather _what she didn't do_ and again she was crying, staring down at her glowing hands and drowning in guilt, grief, and shame. His next words surprised her, saying that she had done the right thing.

He started rambling about what happened at the encampment, about what he saw, how he felt...it all came tumbling out, his emotions running so high and so deep that he actually started crying. Sweet Menti Celesti...now she understood why it had hurt him so much to see her cry because she was feeling that way now.

His eyes were closed and she felt everything he was feeling. Images flew through her mind..._she made him watch as she killed them all_. She could see it in Kora's eyes...she had known how it would affect him. _She had done it on purpose… she made his heart shed tears of blood, made him suffer such terrible pain just so that he would break...she tortured him without ever laying a finger on him_.

No! She wasn't going to let that stand! Yeah she was going to save Kora from Snow White...just so she could beat the living hell out of her! But first..._her captain needed her, needed to know that she didn't hate him, that she didn't blame him, that she understood...that she wasn't going anywhere without him_.

The question was whether or not he still wanted revenge so she asked. He had spoken the truth...mostly. His emotions told her the rest. He didn't want revenge, he just wanted her but she wanted his word, that he would stay with her, that he would always listen, and that he would always believe and when he gave her his word, using both her first and last name to show his sincerity and honesty…._she had to kiss him_.

And kissed him she did...with a huge ass fucking smile on her face. That moment… it meant everything to her and she could feel her magic shooting out of her as he made love to her again. She wasn't sure what it was doing...she was just so happy.

_He chose her_.


	52. Chapter 52: Starlit Chaos

**Chapter 52: Starlit Chaos**

He chose her over everything else. There were no words to describe the full depth of emotion she was feeling but she was pretty sure that her magic was expressing it for her.

Round two only lasted a little over two hours because they were both physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. She woke up before he did and boy was she confused, not understanding why she was naked out in the woods while staring at the stars overhead.

When she realized where she was, who she was with, and what they had been doing out in the open...she got dressed very quickly and started hyperventilating while sitting next to the stream. _Holy shit! What the hell had she been thinking?! She had an almost stranger take her virginity in the middle of the fucking woods where anyone could have seen or heard them!_

_She could have had a bloody audience witnessing everything! She hadn't been quiet either! Sweet Menti Celesti, she had totally forgotten about the fucking ogres! She had sex in public, outdoors, in dangerous territory, with a possible audience_...her mind went berserk.

Then all the things they had done together not once but twice had her blushing brighter than her hair. The way she had used him to sate her curiosity, practically torturing him with her magic and actions … the way he had slammed into her after the discovery of his second hand, it had her body heating up in anticipation and when he found that perfect spot… bloody hell!

All those memories and feelings and sensations were flooding her mind and her entire being became a fucking battleground of epic proportions. Her body was yearning for more, already preparing for another round. Her heart was pretty much singing and doing a fucking happy dance. Her mind, on the other hand, was totally and completely freaking out, her conscious self trying to assimilate everything.

She let out a squeak of surprise when Killian pulled her backwards and into his lap. _When the hell did he wake up...fuck he was even dressed!_ How long had she been freaking out? He wrapped one arm around her waist so he could bring her right side fully to his chest and he used his other hand to caress her left cheek in a rather loving manner, making her blush even more.

"I was wondering when it was going to sink in. Up until now, you haven't acted like a typical virgin. I was becoming a bit concerned." He teased continuing to stroke her cheek, his ocean blue eyes vibrant with happiness.

She tried to speak but the longer he looked at her, the more aware she became of him. The arm that had initially been around her waist had moved up and his hand was actually cupping her breast. There was also a rather hard object pressing into her lower back and whenever it twitched, it sent shivers through her body.

She started hyperventilating again, her eyes going wide as her brain kept exploding and then the idiot discovered what she called the _Insta-relax_ feature, her hair...specifically the sensation of someone running their fingers through her hair in a gentle and soothing manner.

The motion combined with the tenderness on his face, his eyes softening in understanding, she gradually calmed down. Even when she was fully calm, he kept up the motion. He even switched their positions slightly so that he could run both hands through her hair and if she had been a cat, she would have been purring insanely loudly.

"What is it about my hair that has you so fixated?" She finally asked in a vain attempt to stay awake.

"I could ask you the same question, love." He countered speaking softly into her ear and making her tremble as a result.

He did have a point, but her reasoning was pretty stupid...feeling his hair meant that he was letting her close, that he was allowing her to invade his personal space. She had always wanted to be able to do that with her boyfriend...when she actually had one but none of them had let her.

The fact that Killian Jones aka James Hook, Captain of the Jolly Roger, the infamous Scourge of the Sea, was allowing someone like her to be that close to him, to let her actually touch him in such a gentle yet intimate way...it made her want to cry...from happiness that is.

"It's silly." She said finally, her voice quiet.

"Tell me." He stated still brushing through her hair.

"It's something I always wanted to do… that letting me do that meant that you were letting me in…" She started struggling to find the words, "Your counterpart was a fair bit more...aloof, distant even...using innuendo and charm as a mask, never revealing what he truly felt until provoked.

You are very different from him. It surprised me. You weren't acting like him, like the man I knew. You're much more expressive and open yet logical and analytical. You acted like a mix between Poseidon and Hook, the third and fourth captains from my story. It doesn't make any sense."

"Admittedly, you're right. I was very much like you had described my counterpart… until I saw you. Then everything just… _shifted_. In a single day, I went from feeling like an empty shell with no zest for life to a man that was utterly obsessed with a mortal goddess and wanting very much to pin her to the nearest flat surface and fuck her senseless." He replied shocking her with his bluntness.

She thought about what he said...about how everything had shifted. It had been the same for her, even back in Storybrooke. She had flat out claimed Killian as hers. He was everything she wanted in a man and so much more. She wasn't kidding when she told Emma..._plot be damned_.


	53. Chapter 53: Acceptance

**Chapter 53: Acceptance**

Her Captain threaded his fingers deeper into her hair, gently scratching her scalp… she kind of fell backwards into him, making him laugh and she started giggling when he nuzzled into her neck. The little Dalek nipped that turn on spot of hers and she arched slightly while pushing his right hand into between her legs without realizing it.

He removed his hand only to slide it into her jeans until he found what he was looking for. His left hand slid under her shirt to fondle her breast and she started panting.

"Damn it, Killian. We don't have time for another round." She snapped breathlessly.

He simply smirked against the skin of her neck and the intensity of his actions increased. _Shit, shit, shit...she was gonna cum_ and she did, her body arching as she pushed against his chest before collapsing into his waiting arms, her face flushed and breathing heavily.

"Nice try, sweetie, but I still want to know why you love my hair so much." She stated once her breathing had slowed.

His left hand returned to her hair while he rinsed the other in the stream before it too returned to her hair.

"I do love your hair, love; long, full, soft. In the sunlight, it shined like it was on fire and in the shade, it shimmered like spilt blood bathed in moonlight. It even has a gentle wave like the surface of the ocean.

As you know, I've had countless women charmed into my bed, but that was just a means to an end. I wanted to feel alive again, to feel anything at all. It felt so wrong to be that way...like something had ripped out my core but then I saw you and everything changed.

I knew in an instant that you were mine… something I only just now realized. You called to me on so many levels. I'm still having trouble sorting out the how and when...so many questions and so few answers.

All the right curves in all the right places." He explained demonstrating exactly what he meant as he gently rubbed her body with his hands before returning to her hair,

"Your hair… I just wanted to touch it. So soft...its actually rather relaxing running my hands through your hair. A particular trait we both share apparently. I don't know how to explain it. Honestly, I'm terrible with words. That's why I let my actions speak for me."

The ginger removed herself from his embrace so she could turn around and sit in between his legs, wrapping her own around him. He watched her every movement with curious eyes. She turned her attention to his hair, lifting her hands to touch it but stopped.

He frowned in confusion, wondering why she had stopped. She met his gaze and comprehension flickered through his eyes. He reached up with his own hands and gently pushed hers into his hair, her eyes filling with tears as she smiled at him. She leaned closer to him and threaded her fingers deeper into his hair.

She saw his eyes close, his hands coming to rest on her hips. She gently massaged his scalp and he actually groaned..._in pleasure_. Oooh...this wasn't an instant relax for him as it was for her. It was a turn on and judging by how hard he was getting down below, it was a highly effective one at that.

She decided to torment him a little bit by rocking her lower half in time with her fingers and his breathing became faster. She scratched at his scalp and his hands tightened on her hips, making her grind against him harder. She smirked as she added a slight spark of her magic to her fingers and he pulled her fully against him, his arms wrapping tightly around her.

"Damn it, wench. I'm trying very hard to _**not**_ rip off your clothes." He informed his pulse racing and she could feel it throbbing through his member.

"The only clothes that need to come off are your pants." She replied threading her magically charged fingers into his hair again.

"Artz…" He started breathlessly as all his muscles tightened in an effort to stay in control.

She felt a blast of pride flood her system, loving how he had dragged out her name...speaking and practically moaning at the same time. _He wanted her...he wanted her so badly_. She could feel his desire as if it was her own and she started the gentle rocking motion again, feeling his body shudder from his growing pleasure.

_Damn, this was just so fucking empowering. She was causing this, making him come undone from such simple actions. The infamous Killian Jones, the notorious Captain of the Jolly Roger...was completely at her mercy._

"I'm curious, _Killian_." She started practically purring his name into his ear.

"You can do whatever you wish, love, but you've got to help me..._please_." He begged his voice shaking from his need for a release.

She moved away from him and he reluctantly let her go. Once separated, she could see the pain on his face. She glanced down and saw why. He had a raging hard on. It was so stiff and erect that his pants could barely contain it. She looked back up at him and she smirked, his oceanic eyes shifting to the mirrored obsidian she loved so much.

She crawled over to him and slowly, deliberately so, undid the fastenings and slid the fabric out of the way, his member shooting upwards. _Whoa...he was a lot harder than the last time she had been this close_. She simply stared for several moments before he suddenly pushed her closer to his groin.

She pushed back up and he growled in frustration. She reached out with a single finger and sent a spark of magic into his sword. He actually fell backwards as his member started ejecting a steady stream for a few seconds. He was breathing heavily but he was still insanely hard.

Wow...she really got him turned up, didn't she? She decided to be kind considering she could actually feel how much pain his erection was causing him and sadly their time alone was running out. Instead of doing a simple hand job, she went full throttle which caused her captain to let out a yelp of intense pleasure. This could take a while.


	54. Chapter 54: Stardust

**Chapter 54: Stardust**

It took some time and she tried out several ideas...she had no idea how much she had actually swallowed, she just knew that her stomach felt full. Damn it...was he ever going to come down? Fine...she was going to expedite matters with her magic and _holy shit, he started screaming in pure ecstasy_. It was official...he was totally and completely addicted to her magic.

Even then, it took another ten minutes for him to fully soften. She checked on him, only to find him out cold. She was honestly surprised that she had such power over him. Still she knew that she was going to have to figure out her own heart and _the mystery of their forgotten past_.

She cleaned and redressed him before taking a quick bath in the stream and redressing. She wasn't tired, in fact, she was jittery as hell. _Her magic_...she was actually consciously aware of her magic, but that wasn't the only thing she felt either.

Invisible strings were connected to her and flowed towards the encampment. She didn't understand what she was sensing. What was her magic trying to tell her?

'_**The impossible**_.'

That voice again! _The impossible_? She didn't understand. What did she want the redhead to do?

'_**Light...Hope...Miracle**_.'

Her eyes widened as an image flowed through her mind. Standing before her were the Second, Third, and Fourth Captains..._The Lightning Fang, The Terror of the Deep, and The Scourge of the Sea_. Light, Poseidon, and Hook were representations in her story called _The Star Chronicles_.

_Where there is Light, there is Hope. Where there is Hope, there are Miracles._

_Miracles are impossible which meant that she was most definitely involved because she was Artz Lanaria, __**the woman that does the impossible**_.

Artz closed her eyes and focused on each individual string, a face and a name for each one. She knew their stories..._could she do it_? _Did she truly have the power to do the impossible and save them_? _What was the cost? Would it kill her?_

She shivered..._it was the same as before_. It was the Fourth Captain. _What was he trying to convey?_ The cold spiked as she heard Killian's voice..._her Killian_.

_'I'll believe anything you tell me, love.'_

_'You see the world differently. Who am I to argue?'_

_'I can't imagine how heavy that burden is...to know a possible future...to try and help, only for you to be shunned and treated like the enemy...to carry that knowledge all on your own.'_

_'Just speak your mind. I will listen… because no else will.'_

_'What i feel for you is so much deeper than what i had with that traitorous bitch.'_

_'Artz, you mean more to me than Milah ever did and I've only known you a day. I don't want to leave you...at all...because you're my star. You were literally shining...just for me.'_

_'I want to stay with you. Wherever you go, I will always follow.'_

_'I give you my word, Artz Lanaria.'_

Heat surged from her heart and flowed throughout the rest of her body. Her skin began to glow in a soft electric blue light. Her eyes opened and she saw sparkles of light falling like a gentle snowfall. They were the same kind of light shining from her body.

Tears slipped down her cheeks as a strong sense of familiarity encompassed her mind. _This...this was so familiar. The sparkles of light falling from the sky like snow...why? What did it mean to her? Why was it so important?_

'_**Stardust**_.'

An image of a woman with chocolate brown hair and eyes of the purest amethyst flashed through her mind. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. The woman smiled at her as her eyes shifted to a brilliant silver, bright and warm as if there were flames contained within.

_Who was she? Who was she to her? Why was her heart shattering like a broken mirror?_

'_**Yuna**_.'


	55. Chapter 55: Truest Believer

**Chapter 55: Truest Believer**

"My truest believer." Artz whispered her head beginning to ache.

She reached up and grabbed her head as pain sliced through her brain. It took everything she had to keep herself from screaming. She staggered about, her vision blurring from the pain and the tears.

'_**Sing...for me...and my heart will go on**_.'

_Totally not subtle, Yuna_...but at this point, she just wanted the pain to go away. A melody began to play softly, the stardust falling in time with the music. She lowered her hands and took several breaths to calm her racing heartbeat.

"Every night in my dreams

I see you, I feel you

That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance

And spaces between us

You have come to show you go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

Love can touch us one time

And last for a lifetime

And never let go till we're gone

Love was when I loved you

One true time I hold to

In my life we'll always go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

You're here, there's nothing I fear

And I know that my heart will go on

We'll stay forever this way

You are safe in my heart and

My heart will go on and on." She sang.

Throughout the entire song the light coming from her grew brighter and brighter. The sparkles of light swirled around her as if caught in a mini tornado. She started with only her own voice but then she heard Lily's voice doing the secondary vocals and then Rem's voice joined as well.

As the song hit its pinnacle, there was a chorus of voices..._the people from the encampment...the people she had abandoned but the truth was...they were alive...inside her heart_. Dozens of strings visibly appeared, her magic coursing through each individual strand. The stardust swirling around left her and spun itself around each and every strand.

She remembered their voices, their faces, their names and stories, but most of all, she remembered how much they had cared for her...their kindness, their patience, their laughter and joy..._she remembered their hearts_. In this single instance of time, she believed that she could do it, to truly make a difference, that she was the Crimson Savior..._she believed that she could do the impossible and save everyone_.

The light, stardust, and threads faded away and she was overcome with exhaustion, her legs giving out from under her...only to find herself within the strong arms of her captain. His left eye was the warm, mirrored obsidian and the right eye was the cool, oceanic blue. Both were looking at her with worry and with sheer awe.

"Go back...to the encampment." She ordered fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I'm not leaving you." He refused his arms tightening around.

"You need to. They...they won't understand...so scared...they need you." She replied her vision darkening around the edges, "I'll be okay. Just need a short nap."

"Artz, I am not leaving you again." He reiterated firmly, a slight tremor in his voice.

"I'm safe here. My Guard...here." She responded before losing the battle to remain conscious but not before she heard a voice that she recognized..._Preacher_.


	56. Chapter 56: Awakening

**Chapter 56: Awakening**

When she had woken up, dawn had already passed but it was still pretty early since there was still dew on the grass. She sat up slowly, her back and neck popping in several places. She smiled when she saw a very familiar looking messenger bag.

The only problem was that she had left it back in Storybrooke, having been locked up in a cell up until she jumped into a portal and here it was, sitting next to her. She brought it into her lap and smiled brightly. Someone had done some tweaking with her bag and had so graciously included some food and drinks.

She had a quick breakfast, feeling much better afterwards. She rose to her feet and slung the strap over her head to rest on her left shoulder. She turned toward where the encampment had been. _She could feel it_.

Her magic was almost done. In fact, it wouldn't be long after her captain had arrived. That was some pretty good timing though she hadn't realized just how far out they had gone. No wonder it took him so long to get there.

She smirked, her eyes sparkling with a smug mischief. If there was one thing that Artz was good at..._it was running_. Her love of running and subsequently parkouring, was a direct result of her love for a certain two hearted alien that loved the running.

The crimson haired woman took off, practically flying through the landscape. A grin formed on her face as she deftly jumped over a fallen tree without breaking her stride. She used the roots and rocks to her advantage to avoid most of the bushes and more troublesome inclines.

Sweet Menti Celesti…she loved running like this. It gave her such a thrilling sense of freedom, the wind rushing around her. She became aware of a shadow jumping from tree to tree. The only reason why she had noticed was because she had used the trunk of a tree to push off of to change directions.

She sensed no hostility from her shadow so she left him be...how did she know it was a he? Gravity defying black hair with a white patch up front, black cloak and boots, and a white scarf. She hadn't seen his eyes but she sure as hell felt _the other one_ when he sensed her thoughts.

_Hiei_.

Wow...she actually had that little pyro pixie in her Guard. She heard him stumble slightly and had to stop herself from laughing aloud, but that did not stop her from grinning like the Cheshire cat. Huh… was the Cheshire cat a member of her Guard too?

There was an audible smack that sounded an awful lot like someone face palming. She jumped and flipped forward, using her hands to stabilize her arch and make her land in such a way that allowed for immediate take off. She had spent years practicing movements like that and she had the scars to prove it too.

Time being frozen for twenty eight years certainly did have some advantages. It gave her plenty of time to learn skills and techniques to the point that she barely thought about doing it and just did it. It most definitely paid off and she was glad that she had put in all that effort.

She slid to a stop when her shadow was no longer with her. She felt a nudge in her mind and an image was quickly shoved to the forefront. It was Emma and the others, they had finally returned to the encampment, but why were Phillip and Mulan about two seconds shy of slicing Snow to pieces, Aurora looked like she wanted to rip the dark haired princess to shreds with her bare hands, and then there was the blonde haired savior.

Her friend was rooted in place and if looks could kill then Snow would be in a continuous state of dying because Emma looked extremely pissed..._no, furious… pure, unadulterated fury_. What the hell did that fucking brat of a school teacher say or do to get her best friend into that state?

Another image was pushed into her mind… _Killian_! _Oh shit_! He was about to walk into a fucking war zone! _Not good, very not good_! She took off again, her feet barely touching the ground. She had to get to him before his mouth got him into trouble!

There was a pulse of magic..._her magic_. The people started getting up which just made her fly even faster. It gave her a brief delay but not much of one. She was close though. _Just keep your mouth shut, Killian! Fuck! Don't you dare, you fucking bitch! She wasn't going to make it! __**Killian**_!


	57. Chapter 57: Lady Doctor

**Chapter 57: Lady Doctor**

The ginger slid to halt as the arrow that Snow had fired stopped mid air. _Did she do that? No, it wasn't her but she would worry about that later. She had a fucking bitch of a princess to brutalized. __**No one took what was hers**_.

She simply waltzed into camp with the mother of all death glares on her face. She barely noticed the people bowing and kneeling to her as they parted to let her pass. She focused entirely on the woman that had just tried to kill her captain.

Then of course..._shit went fucking haywire_. Why because Emma's magic as a savior decided to wake up and _way too fucking soon_! She was extremely grateful to her lover when he took up the mantle of calming the quite frankly freaking out blonde haired woman that was her best friend.

_Something was different_. Emma...she was sensing her emotions...just like with Killian before the whole shagging like Nubbins thing. The ginger could feel two different sets of emotions. The negative ones felt so incredibly thin like rice paper and the positive set..._holy shit_...damn girl, what the hell are you feeling?

Artz couldn't identify most of what the blonde was feeling, but she felt it when her emotions shifted drastically. Her hands flew up before she actually consciously decided to do so.

'_NO!_'

The red head's magic answered her panicked demand and caught the arrow that had suddenly bolted in the blonde's direction. _Damn it, Emma_! Why the hell was she doing this? Why did she just try to kill herself? _What_? _She said what?!_ **She was not a fucking monster!**

Oh she wanted to kiss her Captain when he threatened to slap Emma if she called herself a monster again. _Shit_! She was starting to lose it. Her magic kept flickering on and off sporadically and she couldn't figure out why.

She was barely aware of the children wrapping themselves around her legs, trying to hold her up. She was at a weird angle and her entire body was shaking from the strain of holding the arrow in place. Then they were next to her..._her friends_...Remaria and Lillith..._her precious Rem and Lily_. They were alive and they were supporting her arms.

She was crying. She would admit that. She had been so afraid that she hadn't saved everyone when she realized that she hadn't seen them when she first entered the camp. They were with her, they were helping her...their expressions..._they cared_. Even though she had let them die and they fucking knew it..._they were still her friends_.

She felt it when some of the men braced her back and she knew in an instant who they were; Michael, Edward, and Sam. Charlie would have joined them but he was busy trying to hold back a cloaked figure that seemed incredibly pissed off at a certain dark haired princess.

Artz's attention snapped back to the blonde haired savior and she took note of her captain's current position. _That fucking asshole_! Did he not realize just how hard it was to hold that damn arrow in place?!

'_I can never hate her...because I love her_.'

The ginger let out a choked sob of relief, the tears continuously pouring down her cheeks. _So long...she had waited so long_. She had hoped to hear those words for such a long time. She had despaired too quickly before, but she could feel it. _It was true...Emma really did love her_.

Her arms ceased to tremble and her breathing evened off. For some reason, it wasn't taking nearly as much effort to hold the arrow in place..._had Emma stopped fighting her_? Artz's eyes flickered to Emma's and the next two words out of that woman's mouth made her magic surge throughout her body.

'_My Doctor_.'

_Yuna...that's what Yuna had said_. The arrow suddenly shredded to pieces as her adoptive sister collapsed into her captain's arms. The ginger barely managed to untangle herself from the impromptu group hug and dashed over to the duo. When she slid to a halt on the ground next to them...that's when she realized that she had an arrow in her side, just shy of piercing her heart.

She ripped that sucker out without a second thought and saved the blonde haired savior. How...by turning her captain into fucking junkie...said junkie having actually nutted himself from _just her magic_. Then there was Lava Girl and every part of her felt like it was on fire.

Pulling the blonde's magic into herself had been a big mistake. One, she had gone blonde. Two, everything she touched was being roasted. Three, she literally needed Rem to cover for her...turns out the fiery Celtic woman was actually a fucking _combat mage_.

She put up an illusion that would only break if a force greater than her own was to surge. She had not elaborated on the specifics and the redhead didn't ask. The cloaked figure from before had turned up on Rem's horse disguised as Rem and thus the reason she was almost at the base of the beanstalk.

The only problem was that she could barely see, her vision was like looking through a heat wave. _Was this how it felt to regenerate_? Every cell in her body was burning. Every time she touched something now, it would hiss and sizzle from the contact.

There was no way in hell that she was going to be able to climb the beanstalk in this condition. She would have to wait for Killian, but that also had its own dangers. Kora was supposed to be there when Killian climbed down the beanstalk.

She wasn't here currently so that meant she was going to be there the next night. _Could she wait? Could she afford to wait?_ He had deliberately made certain that the Queen of Hearts did not find out about her. If she waited then...her entire body tensed when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Hello, Artz." The very recognizable voice greeted.


	58. Chapter 58: The Queen of Hearts

**Chapter 58: The Queen of Hearts**

The voice belonged to the very person that her captain was trying to protect her from..._Kora_, the Queen of Hearts herself and she was standing only a few feet behind her. She didn't dare turn around. She had run away from this woman and here she was..._why_?

"I must say that you make for a rather lovely blonde but I do believe the color of spilt blood would suit you better, wouldn't you agree...I know that pirate of yours prefers those gorgeous crimson locks and I don't blame him." Kora commented, making the blonde's body fill with dread and fear.

_How did...how did she know...spilt blood… that was how Killian had described her hair. How did she know...about that, about them, about her? Why did the Queen of Hearts know her name_?

"You don't have to be afraid, Artz." The woman stated softly.

"Says the woman that deliberately made my captain watch as she murdered every man, woman, and child in the encampment, making him watch the light fade from each of their eyes. You are a fucking bitch." Artz ground out, the heat in her body overriding her sense of self preservation.

"A necessary evil that yielded the desired result." The witch replied evenly.

"The result...was pissing me off. You may be stronger and more skilled than me right now…" The blonde started only for the Queen of Hearts to interrupt her.

"I am inferior to you, Artz." She spoke shocking the blonde.

This actually made her turn around, wondering what the hell was going on in that woman's brain...only for her vision to spin and she fell to the ground, landing on her left side and making her cry out in pain. _Shit_! She had forgotten that Snow had skewered her with an arrow.

The blonde clutched her left side as a hot, sticky substance began to coat her fingers. The heartless one was by her side in an instant, kneeling beside her and forcing her to lie back. She kept her hands over the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but Kora pulled her hands away and the moment she touched her injury, it made the blonde cry out in pain.

"Who did this to you? Who injured you? Tell me." The witch demanded a fair amount of emotion in her voice.

"What do you care? You don't have a heart. You ripped it out so it wouldn't….so it wouldn't get in the way of your own damn ambition. Why the fuck would you give a damn about me?" Artz snapped trying to move away.

Kora stopped her movement but then she felt something wet fall on her face. _What_? She heard the Queen of Hearts take a shuddering breath..._was she crying_? _Why would Kora be crying_?

"I do care and I know that what I'm about to say is not going to make any sense at all. My first born...she was hollowed out by a parasitic creature. Her soul had been completely devoured but she was still alive. Empty but still carried the potential energy of a life yet to be lived." Kora explained, thoroughly confusing her.

"What does that have to do with me?" Artz asked her breath coming in short bursts.

"Everything. She was killed so that her essence could be merged into you. All the days she should have had...they became yours and with it, we were granted another chance." The witch answered her voice choking with emotion, "Her potential energy, it was given to you so you could live once more. As for my heart, I only have half of it...the other half was given to save another, but I do care for you, Artz. I care for you so much...so much that I'm willing to commit cold blooded murder, just to make you stronger."

"I don't understand. You killed those people to make me stronger, but you made my captain watch, you killed our friends...You killed Rem right in front of him. _You say you care, that you actually have half of your heart_? How could you do it? How could you kill them if you cared? How could you do that to him? _You knew! You knew how much it would hurt him_! _You knew that she was special to him and you killed her anyways!_

And now you start rambling about your first born which was Zelena and she's not dead. Then some stupid made up bullshit about parasitic creatures and the potential energy from a life never lived. Just..._what the hell?!_" Artz yelled getting up on her knees while clutching her side, backing away from the insane woman.

"I did what I had to...to keep someone I loved alive and I'm not the only one to make a sacrifice. You have lost so much more than you realize. We have tried so many times and failed every time. We have tried so hard...but everything had to be undone.

Every life that had been altered, every heart that had been touched, every destiny that was rewritten...all the good and wonderful things..._we had to destroy it all_." Kora responded, so much anguish and pain in her voice.

"Why?" The blonde asked heart aching painfully with every word the witch had been saying.

She didn't understand why Kora's words were hitting her so deeply nor did she understand why they rang true. _What the hell was going on_? _What the hell happened_? A strong feeling of dread gripped her heart..._that fucked up mind trip_...she knew that they were memories..._what if...oh God...what have they done to her_?


	59. Chapter 59: Forgotten Legacy

**Chapter 59: Forgotten Legacy**

"You...we did it to save you. You touched so many people, saved so many lives...you made a better future by simply being you and to save you and so much more, _we had to destroy it all_. Everything you built, everything you worked so hard to change, every person you saved..._we erased your story_.

We love you so much...each time, more of us died...our stories rewritten. We became the villains of your story to make you stronger. Time and again, we took everything from you and one time..._we made a mistake_. Trying so desperately to save you, to save creation itself..._we destroyed them_ and without them..._we're the ones that hollowed you out, killing the very people you needed to survive_.

But they still exist...we were able to bring them back, but we couldn't find them...at first. We did find one and what was needed to ensure their existence, but we can't find the other and without the second, you won't just die...your soul will shatter into dust and all will be lost." The Queen of Hearts answered pain lancing through the blonde's heart.

Her mind was bombarded with images, feelings, events and people. She cried out as she bent forward, curling into herself. She wept, she wept so hard...screaming in agony. She couldn't breathe, her lungs refusing to function. The heat in her body amplified, making her blood feel like it was boiling and scalding her hand from where it was pouring from her side.

Her head felt like it was about to explode. There was too much...too much inside her head. _The memories from that fucked up mind trip...that's what they were...failed attempts to save her, resulting in her death again and again_.

She tried to breathe but it was no use. It was too much..._so many people_...her mind overloaded, her heart breaking over and over..._too much, it was too much_...her friends, her family, her love..._her children_...oh god, her timeline was unwritten again and again. She had to say goodbye so many times...and then came that horrible memory..._a soul shattering scream as she was being torn apart_.

Her vision darkened as she began to lose consciousness, falling back onto her side...her mouth open in a silent scream. Her eyes were wide open, but were clouded over like she had been rendered blind.

_She had died so many times and in so many ways. Countless times everything was torn away from her and all to make her stronger but why? What was so important about her that required the people she had once loved to sacrifice themselves, to go so far for someone as worthless as her? Too much...it was too much...heart, mind, and soul...she was dying...dying from her own memories. She could feel it...she was cracking, splintering, breaking, shattering...she really was dying, only this time she felt it, all of it...experiencing the pain and anguish of every death all over again but at the very same time_.

_Help! Please! Make it stop! It's too much! I can't hold onto it! It's killing me! Please! Let me breathe, damn it! Fuck that! Tell me why! Why...why...__**why**__...__**WHY**__!_

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I said too much. I told you too much. I'm sorry! You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay. I'll take away the pain. You won't remember what happened here.

You won't remember how we destroyed you, your friends and family...your legacy. You won't remember that I'm not your enemy, that I love you..._like my own child_. I am so, so sorry." Kora told her, her tone panicked and full of agony, grief, guilt, and despair.

Artz shook her head, a clear sign that she did not want to forget, but that just made the Queen of Hearts sob, tears streaming down her face as her hand reached towards the blonde's head.


	60. Chapter 60: Shattered Grace

**Chapter 60: Shattered Grace**

Kora's hand hesitated, trembling violently from the onslaught of her deeper emotions. It was obvious that she didn't want to, but wasn't to anyways whether Artz consented or not.

_No_! _She couldn't let this happen_! **Then don't let it.** _What? What was that?_ **Are you going to let them rape our mind again?** _Again? _**Stupid brat, you're so useless.**

The blonde sucked in a breath and she screamed..._loudly_. It was so loud that it generated a shock wave that blasted Kora away from her. Then suddenly she was on her feet, her back ramrod straight, her posture rigid yet graceful. The heat was muted, the pain in her side disappeared, and her mind calmed. Her breathing was heavy and ragged but was slowly getting back to its normal rhythm.

She tried to walk over to the prone form of the Queen of Hearts, but her body did not obey her and instead she turned around and began climbing the beanstalk. She struggled against whatever force was controlling her, genuinely worried about the _not so heartless_ Queen of Hearts, but it did not budge or waver at all.

**If you were not so pathetically empty then I wouldn't have had to get involved**. _Empty? What hell would you know? Who and what the hell are you anyways?! You left her! You could have at least made certain that you didn't cause any permanent damage!_ **I'm the one that's keeping you alive, you ungrateful bitch. They used me to save your sorry ass from being ripped apart.** **As for your precious Kora, she'll be fine because if I truly wanted her dead then she would be.** _Who are you?_

**Why do you ask questions that you already know the answers to?** _But it can't be...what about..._**Hmph. Never happened in this world.** _But then..._**Just shut up already. Its hard enough keeping our shell from combusting into fucking flames.** _But I like to talk._ **I know and under normal circumstances, I would let you.**

_Are we dying? _**You just can't shut up, can you? **_Just answer the question please. _**No...we got lucky this time. I was able to take control and prevent us from destroying ourselves.** _The memories...why can't I see them anymore? I can't...remember. You have them, don't you? You're protecting me_. **You left me with no alternative. You're too weak to handle it right now and to be perfectly honest, I'm a glorified SD card, just storing them instead of accessing them.**

_Is it hurting you? Are you okay? _**No and no. I'm barely here. I'm suppressed so much that just taking control of our motor functions temporarily is draining me of what little strength I have.** _I'm sorry...for being so weak_. **It's not your fault. In trying to save you, they fucking killed you in the worst way possible. Their mistakes turned you into a hollowed out shell.** **They took away what you needed and it destroyed you...**_**us**_**.**

_I would ask but you wouldn't answer. _**Ask anyways and I may just surprise you.** _Do you know anything about Yuna? _**Beyond her being our truest believer...not much. I simply know that she does, in fact, exist. She is **_**somewhere**_**, but I can't sense her as I am now. The balance has yet to be broken.** _What can I do? What am I supposed to do? I'm pretty certain that I've wrecked the plot line beyond repair and without the certainty of that knowledge…there is nothing I can do, is there?_

**Must you be so wishy-washy? The show is only a basic guide at this point, so just live in the moment. Don't ask why or how and just let yourself be happy.** _Be happy? There is a fucking shit storm on the fucking horizon and you want me to just ignore it and be fucking happy?!_ **Yes. The only things you need to worry about is fucking our captain and our god of the sea.** _Seriously?_ **Yes, seriously.**

**I know that this is a completely foreign concept to you but you **_**need**_ **to be happy. **_Why? Why is my emotional state so important?_ **You really are an idiot**. _Hey!_ **The only time your magic has worked is because of your feelings for our pirate. When happy, you pulled off fucking miracles. When panicked, your power began to flicker in and out.** _Oh shit. My power, my magic...it's connected to my emotions._

**Exactly like the Charmed Ones. Their powers were always affected by their emotional states. Remember when Prue lost her temper when she first got her power?** _With how much she held inside, she was basically a fucking weapon of mass destruction. _**No, that's us. Prue is a damn pansy compared to us. Look, the point is that you need to stop blaming yourself for everything.**

_This might be a foreign concept to you but __**I'm me**__. I always do what needs to be done. If that means that I have to carry the blame so be it. _**So be fucking happy already! **_Is that what I really need to do...but it sounds so selfish?_ **I would facepalm right now but I'm currently climbing a beanstalk.** _If I were to do as you say and try to be happy, there is a whole fucking population of pissed off fairy tale characters that want to murder me back in Storybrooke. How can I be happy if I'm constantly fearing for my life?!_

**Alright, fine. My power is limited but I should be able to cancel out the spell making everyone act all wonky but it will have to be after we have returned to Storybrooke and gotten rid of our sister's magic. **_But if you do that then Rumple and Ingrid...Ginny..._**Your adoptive parents have never been under the spell, they're far too powerful for that, and as for the Queen of Emo...good luck getting her to share.**

_Share?_ **Yes, share. Ask our lover what he thinks about Ginny's behavior.** _So...mum and papa..._**They will still love you…breaking the spell won't change that...their love for you is **_**real**_**, Ginny being all territorial and possessive...**_**that's real too**_**.** _Um...not to interrupt but it's getting kind of hard to breathe. Is it the altitude or is something wrong_? **I wish I could say it was the former but it's actually the latter. **_It's Emma's magic, isn't it? We aren't compatible with it...that's why I've been scorching everything!_

**I'm sorry. This is my fault. My existence is clashing with our sister's magic. I'm...well this is just sad… **_**I'm too good**_**.** _Oh my...are you serious?!_ **Hey! I'm not the one that says that just because something is dark, doesn't mean it's evil.** _So what do we do? _**We need to expel it or our internal organs will begin to liquefy.** _Any suggestions as to how we can accomplish that?_ **Just one.** _Care to share? Um...hello? Hello! Holy shit!_

Artz barely managed to grab a hold of the beanstalk when she was given control of her body back and with it came the fucking heat again. _Shit_! She was less than halfway up, but she couldn't move...the heat was too much.

_Killian….Captain….Emma..._


	61. Chapter 61: Darkness Rising

**Chapter 61: Darkness Rising**

Emma wasn't entirely sure about what was happening. They had placed the captain of the Jolly Roger into the fully filled tub, but the water seemingly evaporated when it came into contact with him.

"Get him to the well! Hurry!" Lily demanded scurrying over to him to help him stand.

The wheat haired woman as well as the Asian warrior woman, Mulan, had both stayed behind when Aurora and Philip decided to move the encampment to Snow's castle. It was much more defensible and it was unlikely for the Queen of Hearts to return there. The two blondes hoisted the quite delirious man up onto his feet and pretty much dragged him over to the well.

"Are you going to just drop him into the well?" Snow asked, astonished, "How the hell is he supposed to get back out?"

Lily ignored her for the moment, her eyes connecting to the savior's. The blonde got the message and they hoisted him up and over, his body falling into the dark depths of the well. A distinct splash was heard and then silence. The bitchy ass princess was utterly horrified by her daughter's actions, going on a verbal tirade.

"Shut up, damn it!" Emma snapped at her, her magic flaring slightly and causing a few objects to explode, "Killian is a _Child of the Sea_. He drank a small lake's worth of water and then absorbed an entire tub like he was a fucking sponge. I doubt a fucking well is going to be a fucking problem."

"But what about before, Emma...the water turned to steam, he didn't absorb it." Mulan pointed out calmly.

The blonde savior opened her mouth to reply when a presence pushed into her mind.

_Killian...Captain...Emma…_

The woman gasped in shock. _That was Artz's voice!_ The feeling that accompanied it was muted, almost like she was trying to protect her..._heat, extreme heat...her magic_.

"Shit!" She exclaimed as she realized the truth.

Her magic had practically turned her into her own personal volcano and that idiot had absorbed _her magic_ into her body. It felt so much worse than before, despite feeling only a fraction of it. _Killian_...he possessed a very deep bond with Artz. No wonder he was so out of it! He was being used like a release valve, neither sender or receiver probably knew. It also explained why the water in the tub vaporized on contact with him because of the heat being channeled into him.

Wait...heat...but his skin was so cold, even when she and Lily pushed him into the well...so why did the water vaporize when he wasn't actually producing any heat? The wheat haired woman steadied her as her vision began to blur..._Artz_…

_'So hot…'_

Artz's voice again! Maybe...it was insane but it could work...she just needed to concentrate.

'Artz.'

_'Swan...Lake…'_

Yes! She could hear her or at the very least sense her! She tuned out the outside world and focused solely on her sister.

'Artz...my magic...its hurting you, isn't it?'

_'Worse.'_

'How much worse?'

Please don't be dying, please don't be dying…instead of a verbal response, a brief scene played through her mind. She almost laughed...typical Artz indeed. The scene was from Doctor Who, Eleven's era, and it was the episode _Journey to the Center of the Tardis_. The salvage brothers, along with the Doctor and Clara, were outside of the _Eye of Harmony_.

_Gregor: Where are we? _

_Doctor: Power source. Right, you lot, wait here. I'll check it's safe. We can only survive for a minute or two in there. _

_Clara: Er, what happens if we stay longer? _

_Doctor: Our cells with liquefy and our skin will start to burn. _

_Clara: I always feel so good after we've spoken. _

_Doctor: Marvellous. Keep this door shut. _

_Clara: That will not be a problem._

It took a minute for the blonde haired savior to fully comprehend what her sister was trying to convey, but when she did, she damn near had a panic attack and would have if another presence hadn't pushed into her head, forcing her to calm down..._what the fuck?_

_'Lily...Jasper...calm…'_

Wait...was she implying that Lily possessed some sort of empathic ability similar to Jasper from Twilight? Well it would explain why she suddenly calmed down. Still didn't change the fact that her Doctor was being broiled alive by _her own fucking magic_! She was essentially in a state of constant regeneration and _she was stuck on a beanstalk_...a beanstalk that only Killian and the Queen of Hearts knew how to get to and only the captain of the Jolly Roger could get to her because of the limitations placed on the counterspell bracelet.

**'Hmm...interesting.'**

Huh? That voice was _definitely_ not Artz. The tone was deeper, but that was definitely _her voice_.

**'Very astute, **_**Swan Song**_**. I chose this voice because I currently lack my own and if I had used her voice, she would be able to hear our little discussion...and that simply won't do.'**

Emma didn't know what to make of this sudden development. Although the person _sounded_ dark, she didn't feel any negative vibes, quite the opposite..._a kindred spirit_?

**'I would say you were on fire but that would be us at the moment. I'll cut to the chase, Swan Song. I am something that resides within Artz, a something that is keeping her alive and preventing her soul from shattering; however, my presence is conflicting with your magic...thus creating a lovely little pyre.'**

She already figured most of that out except for the other presence.

'What do you need me to do? You wouldn't have revealed yourself otherwise.'

Emma suddenly found herself inside some sort of _mental landscape_ or perhaps _oceanic_ would be a better description. She was standing in some kind of underwater complex with some rather _fantastic architecture_. This place practically screamed _Artz_.

"As always, Swan Song, you're quite perceptive." The Voice spoke and she turned to face it.

Standing before her was quite literally _herself_ though she was dressed in all black, the texture looking like scales. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and was several shades lighter...almost white. Her skin seemed to shimmer and sparkle just slightly, giving her a rather _otherworldly_ look, but her aura practically screamed _dangerous_ and was _very, very dark_..._but not evil_.

"I would ask who you are, but I'm just gonna go with Dark Swan and skip to the _what the fuck is happening to my sister_ portion of this conversation." Emma sassed before becoming deadly serious, producing a similar aura as the being before her.

"As I stated before, my presence is conflicting with your magic. I cannot leave her without destroying her completely but…" Dark Swan began but was interrupted and not by the blonde Savior.

"You can siphon off Little Swan's magic into a compatible vessel...which is where I come into play. Oh and pleasure seeing you both again." A man sounding very much like Killian stated garnering both of their attention.

He was dressed in modern clothing for starters...wow, he definitely knew how to pull off the whole _gorgeous badass_ vibe, but it was his eyes that caught her attention immediately..._black_. Both pupil and iris were the same color and held an almost reflective sheen..._mirrored obsidian_.

"Hook." She spoke her voice barely above a whisper.

He turned to look at the Savior, giving her a rather devilish smirk of approval.

"Little Swan." He replied his tone dark but sensual.

She felt tingles all over her body from just hearing his voice sound like that..._whoa_.

"You certainly took your time, _Captain_." Dark Swan stated sounding properly perturbed.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, wench. I'll be there shortly. I had to wait for the brat to lose consciousness before taking control. You know damn well that neither of them can know about me just yet. It's too soon and you know it." Hook countered giving the dark clad woman a firm look.

"Yes I do because I'm me, but she isn't going to last much longer. I don't have enough strength to take control again and even if I could, she's lost too much blood. She wouldn't survive another transition, but I did at least heal the wound." She explained desperation slipping into her tone.

Wait...there was something else… something she wasn't saying and that something was important.

"What happened?" Emma questioned her full attention on her dark doppelganger.

Dark Swan didn't reply and refused to look at either of them. It was something bad, something really, really bad. What could possibly cause her to...the blonde's thoughts trailed off.

"Again?" She looked over at Hook, "You said that it was a pleasure to see us both _again_."

His eyes became sad and it hurt to look at him. His entire being radiated sorrow and..._guilt_? Why would he feel guilty?

"I was fading, Little Swan. My existence was barely an echo, a footprint on the beach that was almost completely washed away. To stop that from happening, extreme measures had to be taken. I don't _remember_ the exact event but I do remember a few fragments.

The point is, Little Swan, is that you saved me. I don't really remember how or when, I just remember feeling your magic being pushed inside the brat's body and fusing with what was left of me. You brought me back to life and for the first time, in forever, I was _aware_. I was actually _aware_ of what was happening. Before...I was nothing more than a heightened emotional state for the brat.

I was his hatred, his fury, his bloodlust..._I was his darkness_, but you saved me, you brought me back...but…" He rambled his eyes shining with so many emotions.

"But it's not enough. He needs more or what little progress he has made will be undone, he'll fade away, she will be destroyed, and all hope of saving our world dies with her." Dark Swan interjected her tone ominous and foreboding.

Emma took a moment to think, the other two remaining silent so that she could sort out her thoughts. She knew Killian was pretty much a full on addict for her sister's magic and by Hook's own words, he had been saved by _her magic_..._a savior's magic_.

_To save that which is fading, the darkness must be unleashed._

What the hell? That was Kora's voice, she was sure of it, but when had she spoken those words?

_For the light to be strong, it must be tempered by darkness_.

Light? Dark? She didn't understand, but she did see some parallels. Hook was Killian's darkness and he was saved by his antithesis...the light, the Savior saving the villain, but with Artz and Killian, she wasn't really sure. They seemed so similar to each other.

_My Captain, my God of the Sea...My star, my Guiding Star...Sea and Star...Star Sea._

Her eyes widened slightly as her thoughts began to weave into some kind of pattern. Both the stars and the Sea, similar yet different, beautiful and full of life, both containing darkness...one surrounded by darkness, the other had darkness hidden within. Hook was hidden _inside_ of Killian and Artz, her beloved sister, was _surrounded_ by darkness.

There was more, there was something else, something important, something she needed to do, something that only she could do. Her face scrunched up, trying desperately to remember. The black eyed captain immediately moved towards her but Dark Swan stuck her arm out in front of him, a clear sign that he was not to interfere. It was still kind of freaky, looking at herself...like looking in the mirror from that one Charmed episode where Gideon was trying to kill Wyatt and seeing yourself reflected in it but different.

_The mark of reflection._

Wait, what was that? Reflection? The trident within the prism, that was the mark on Killian's right hand, a reflection of who he is...her god of the sea. Okay so what reflects besides a mirror, water obviously and then there was the moon…

_The crescent moon within the prism._

Almost there...almost there. She just needed to try harder, to trust herself, take a leap of faith…

_Find the second, Emma. Find the one whose faith has never died...the one that bears the mark of reflection...the crescent moon within the prism...find her. Find Yuna._

The blonde savior gasped for breath, finding herself back in the encampment. Killian was kneeling in front of her, his hands lifting her head and her jaw dropped. Instead of eyes as blue as the ocean he sailed, his eyes were darker than a moonless night...the mirrored obsidian of one Captain James Hook. She then remembered that he had said something about waiting for the brat to lose consciousness. She smiled at him, relief flooding her already exhausted body.

"Hello." She said softly.

"Hello." He replied his black orbs softening.

"Hello." She repeated her smile getting bigger.

"That's hello twice." He commented with a smile of his own forming as his eyes shined with humor.

"Dull…" She started feeling playful.

"But incredibly thorough, Little Swan." He finished smirking.

_Little Swan_, it really was him, her sister's captain..._oh shit_...they needed to go and they needed to go now. Emma staggered to her feet, practically using the pirate as fucking ladder.

"Emma, you need to take it easy. You've been unconscious for almost three hours." Her mother informed, trying to get her daughter to rest.

"_Three hours! What the fuck are you still doing here, Hook?! Go save my sister, you dumbass_!" The savior shrieked panic shooting through her body.

"You know damn well that the wench would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. Now stop your bitching, Little Swan, and get on." He retorted before turning around so she could get on his back.

Hell she wasn't gonna argue if it got them to Artz sooner rather than later. She immediately climbed on, wrapping her arms around his neck and he secured her legs with his arms. Then he shot off like a fucking rocket, Snow yelling at him to stop. Thankfully he didn't listen and sped through the forest with an ease and finesse that she had only seen Artz pull off when she was showing Emma how to parkour.

It took a few minutes for her to realize that he was sporadically tightening his hands on her legs, his face scrunching up at the same time. Was he okay? A question she voiced.

"No...not by a bloody long shot. Stupid brat is trying to wake up. I've got to get to Artz _before_ he retakes control." He answered grunting in an effort to keep himself in control.

Emma didn't respond instead she delved deep into herself, practically begging her magic as the Savior to come out and help. She let out a small cry of victory as her hands glowed with a pearly white light. She focused on pushing that light into the captain and he gasped in relief, the pain on his face disappearing entirely.

"Keep this up, Little Swan, and I'll pin you to the nearest tree and fuck you senseless." He commented, his expression shifting from exertion to euphoria.

"Nope, I'm someone else's bitch, but i don't mind turning you into a junkie." She countered grinning.

"Anything for the wench, eh?" He asked with a laugh.

"No, anything for _your _wench and _my_ Doctor." She answered her tone absolutely certain.

They continued racing through the forest. She knew they were getting close because they had found a trail of scorch marks that intensified the further they went. The blonde spotted the beanstalk in the distance and there was a slight glow a little less than halfway up. She informed the man carrying her and he picked up speed, only to have to slide a grinding halt and fling both of them to the side. Emma spotted the reason why..._the Queen of Hearts_. She had shot a fireball at them and Hook had saved them.

"Did you honestly believe that I was going to let you anywhere near her, Captain?" Kora stated her tone even yet tinged with a hidden sharpness.

"Stand down, Kora." The Captain commanded, revealing his obsidian eyes.

The Queen of Hearts narrowed her eyes, glaring at him with anger and contempt. Wait..._anger_ and _contempt_...those were emotions, but she knew that Kora didn't have her heart. She had sensed it before, but now...now she didn't feel empty. _She was in pain_. Kora raised her hand, a fireball beginning to form.

"Petrichor!" The savior shouted suddenly.


	62. Chapter 62: Swan Song

**Chapter 62: Swan Song**

"The smell of dust after the rain." Both the Queen and the Captain answered in unison.

"I thought as much." Emma stated flatly before walking around the pirate.

She walked straight up to Regina's mother, gently pushing the outstretched arm to the side. The fireball went out as she stared into the Queen's eyes and it clicked.

"You're not our enemy." She said bluntly, the older woman going shock still, "Sit down."

The Queen tried to speak but the blonde snapped at her.

"You're hurt, damn it! Now sit the fuck down, you stubborn bitch and let me help you!" The savior snapped her tone demanding.

To Hook's surprise, the Queen of Hearts actually did what she was told and he watched Emma kneel next to her to examine her.

"Hook, go and save Artz before she burns that beanstalk in two, would ya?" The blonde requested still examining the silent queen, but she sensed his impending rebuttal, "I'll be just fine. She and I have a lot to talk about and it won't be long before my magic wears off. Go or I'll sling your ass across the fucking forest with my magic."

The black eyed pirate relented but only because she was right and that both him and Artz were running out of time. He turned and left, trying very hard to fight every instinct he had to beat the hell out of the blasted witch. Once gone, Emma closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel. _She wanted to help Kora. She wanted to heal her. She wanted to save her_. Her magic roared to life, responding to her feelings and within moments, the Queen of Hearts and the multitude of bruises and fractured bones were completely healed.

"Why did you help me?" The older woman asked not bothering to move from where she was seated on the ground.

The blonde woman sat down next to her _supposed_ enemy, an almost pensive look on her face.

"Because you helped me save Hook, to keep him from disappearing...and no, I don't really remember what happened… just bits and pieces of some of the things you had said, but if i had to wager a guess, you pissed off the Dark Swan." Emma answered, her body relaxed.

"_Dark Swan_? I don't understand." The Queen questioned clearly out of the loop on this topic.

"You said before that to save that which is fading, the darkness must be unleashed. You meant Hook because he was fading out of existence but that statement applies to Artz too. She has my magic inside of her and I was able to form a temporary connection before another presence decided to take the stage.

She pulled me into some sort of mental landscape in the form of an underwater complex with some absolutely gorgeous architecture. She looked like me but she was dark, not evil, just dark...so I called her _Dark Swan_ and she called me _Swan Song_. She said that she was keeping Artz alive, keeping her soul from shattering, but apparently her and my magic don't mix very well...evidence of that is all around us." She elaborated gesturing to the seemingly random scorch marks everywhere.

"Emma...there is so much that you don't know…" Kora started intense sorrow practically oozing out of her body.

"And I don't need to. There's only one thing that I need to do and that...is to find Yuna." She interrupted making the Queen's head snap towards her,

"Find Yuna and I save Artz. I save Artz and I save the world. I have no idea what's going on and I have no clue as to why all this bullshit is happening, but i do know that you're not the enemy you're pretending to be, that you genuinely care for Artz, but I also know that you'll do whatever it takes to keep her alive, to make her strong...even if it meant butchering an entire encampment just so that Artz could use her magic and do the impossible.

But at the same time, you desperately wanted to see her, to talk with her just one more time even though you knew that she would react badly because of what you had to do and you knew that you would have to suppress her memories so that she wouldn't know the truth about you, but you did not expect her to fight back in her weakened condition.

That was Dark Swan, the darkness within his guiding star. That is the darkness that must be unleashed. We have to get Dark Swan fully to the surface but to do that, we have to break the current balance which prevents that very thing from happening. If that weren't bad enough, Killian and Hook are becoming insanely addicted to our magic, another necessary evil I suppose, but there is something that i don't understand."

"I find that hard to believe considering how much you've worked out already and here I thought Artz was the genius." Kora commented a bit of sarcasm leaking into her tone.

Oh that was definitely her sister's influence alright, but she needed to know why it was necessary for her beloved Doctor to be so isolated in Storybrooke, why she had to be rejected and scorned or just flat ignored like her existence was absolutely meaningless.

"Up until a short while ago, I hated Artz." Emma stated bluntly, going straight for the direct approach so she could get a direct answer.

The look on Kora's face spoke volumes. Why? Because she was shocked, completely and utterly shocked.

"No, no that's not right. It was supposed to be different this time. She was supposed to be loved, to be surrounded by the people of Storybrooke, to be wanted and needed, and by you most of all. Why did you hate her? What happened? Tell me everything." The Queen rambled clearly upset.

The blonde haired woman told her about Artz's life in Storybrooke; how she was treated, how she cried herself to sleep almost every night, how much Ingrid and Rumple cared for her, how Regina loathed her yet nearly killed someone when they tried to take Artz away from her, how any child that came near her would start crying in fear, how her own godson couldn't stand to be around her for more than five minutes but had figured out that something was wrong because he genuinely loved her, how the entire town turned against her after the curse was broken when she placed herself between them and her Ginny.

She then revealed how badly she had treated Artz herself; always yelling, demanding answers, never trusting her. She broke the curse and she was filled with so much rage and contempt. She kept treating Artz as the enemy, how Snow hated the redhead so much both before and after the curse was broken. How she watched Artz's heart die a little more each day, how the Huntsman couldn't get near her despite the fact that she had saved his life and of course, how Artz jumped into a portal that they believed was connected to a void rather than the Enchanted Forest.

She explained before and after their initial meeting, how Emma suddenly did a one eighty in her feelings for Artz, how terrified she had been, all of her true emotions surging to the surface, and everything that occurred in the encampment. By the time she was done with the briefest summary she could possibly do which still took several hours, the Queen of Hearts was crying silent tears, a look of total devastation on her face.

"It wasn't meant to be that way. I'll admit that in a previous version of her story that spell was used but never to this degree of severity. Sweet Menti Celesti, I never would have killed those people in the encampment if i had known...its a miracle that I didn't kill her very soul. There's only so much a person can take. We were trying to stick to the original plotline for _Once Upon A Time_ so that events would unfold as close to the story as possible.

We wanted her to have that assurance, that she could change things because she knew a probable future...to boost her confidence, to build up her strength, to do what is right instead of what is easy, to become the woman she once was so long ago..._the woman that does the impossible_. I wish I could show you her original timeline. She changed so much, saved so many, she created a brighter future by simply being her, her and that absolutely ridiculous kindness of hers. So strong and proud and brave and so incredibly hard headed when she insisted on saving someone that everyone else had either written off or completely abandoned.

She was a force unlike anything that our world had ever seen. Sure she had magic and she saved many with it, but it was the power of her heart that literally touched every soul she met. Not everyone reacted positively, there were some problems, but she refused to give up, to surrender, to let go." Kora rambled her emotions driving her mouth.

"What happened, Kora? What changed?" Emma asked her heart practically ripping itself apart.

"I don't know. I can't remember what happened, but I do remember seeing her body. She was covered head to toe in blood, countless injuries, surrounded by corpses. We mourned for her and then it came...the darkness...but just before, a powerful Seeress named Yuel appeared. She came from a place called _The Realm_… to tell us about the approaching darkness, that it would destroy us all.

We asked her if there was anything that we could do to stop the destruction of our reality and that's when she told us...the only person who would have been able to stop the darkness, to save us all…" She answered but stopped when her emotions began to overwhelm her.

"Artz. It was Artz. That's why all of this is happening, but why keep doing it over and over? Why did you keep unwriting her story? What purpose did it serve?" The savior questioned honestly trying to understand.

"We didn't unwrite her story the first time. We found a way to bring her back, but she wasn't the same. She was cruel and so full of hatred. She blamed us for not being there, for not saving her, _for betraying her_. She was broken by whatever had happened. The only way to stop her from simply killing us all as retribution was a man from the same place Yuel had come from...supposedly he was the only person in the whole of creation that she would obey." Kora responded, taking several breaths so she could speak properly.

"The Fourth Captain of the Blood Guard, Captain of the Jolly Roger, The Scourge of the Sea. Hook of the Prism Guard and he is her Captain." Emma recited.

"She did obey him, but she begged him to kill her, that she didn't want to be that way, that something inside of her was trying to get out and destroy everything. He said no, that this wasn't how her story would end, that he would create a new one." Kora continued her expression distant and forlorn.

"And he did, but something happened, something went wrong, something to force you and everyone else to take such drastic measures, to constantly rewrite her story." Emma surmised her heart thudding hard in her chest.

"_She wasn't strong enough_. Her timeline remained intact, she was saved, but she lacked the strength to stop the darkness. She tried so hard, fought with everything she had to protect us, and it killed her, her body giving up before her soul had. The Captain...he knew that it wouldn't work because her light was so small, her life was filled with nothing but happiness.

Because of our love for her, our need to fill her days with joy and laughter, with love and family...she was too weak. Her light had not been tempered by darkness, she wanted for nothing, she was never alone, constantly surrounded by people that loved her and believed in her with their entire beings..._our love killed her_.

Each time her story was unwritten, more and more of us became the villains of her story, to make her stronger, but in our desperation, we destroyed the two people she needed to survive; Hook and Yuna. The next timeline proved that we had made a terrible mistake. Everything went beyond our control and it just kept getting worse and worse until Artz brutally murdered her God of the Sea after forcing him to live a life of blood and death by her side." Kora revealed looking away in shame.

"That's why this is the last time because you pushed her too far, too fast. She couldn't handle it, she buckled...worse, she shattered and then you used whatever the hell Dark Swan is to save her, to pull her back together." Emma spouted off in a rush.

"You are the Savior. The one you call _Dark Swan_ is your antithesis. She is Killian's _Crocodile_, but you know her by another title..._the Dark One_." The Queen of Hearts replied, dropping the mother of all bombshells on the blonde haired savior.


	63. Chapter 63: Enchantress

**Chapter 63: Enchantress**

"But...but...but that's not...I thought Gold...Rumple was the Dark One." Emma sputtered her brain going nuts.

It wasn't possible. Dark Swan wasn't evil. She was just dark, so she couldn't be the Dark One. She just couldn't believe it because _she was good_. She had felt it.

"Rumple never became the Dark One because he was one of the few people that she always saved. His destiny was originally meant to be cut away by his own mother, but Artz saved him...again and again and again. He's like you. He's a savior, but he likes calling himself _her Dark Savior_.

Ingrid...that poor girl...Artz could never turn her back on her, yet another she would always save. In fact, most of the main villains from Once Upon A Time were the ones that she consistently saved over and over again before spiraling into chaos. She refused to give us up and then that last timeline. It all went to hell; for without her Captain and her Truest Believer, she could not survive.

We did manage to bring them back in this version of her story, but we were only able to find Hook and we figured out what he needed to survive. A savior's magic, but not just any savior would do. Only the power of a savior born from true love could save Hook because that is what drives him..._his love for her_. It was so pure and potent, not just true but eternal and unending. No matter how many worlds or lifetimes, he would always find her and he would always choose her because _she was his soul_." The older woman responded, her tears having run dry and sounding so very tired.

"I would ask _what now_ but I actually have an idea. If you're willing to listen that is." The blonde woman spoke dangling the proverbial carrot.

"Whatever it is, I can pretty much guarantee that we've tried it, but go ahead, knock yourself out." The Queen replied, the sarcasm coming through loud and clear.

Emma was certain that there was one thing they hadn't tried, too afraid that in doing so, it would destroy Artz forever, but something inside the Savior told her that this was the right thing to do. If this was truly the last time that her sister's story was going to play out then by the stars, it was not going to be some ridiculous farce. The red head has already suffered enough, twenty eight years, well almost twenty nine now, of suffering, of enduring such terrible cruelty, but she also knew that Artz wasn't stupid nor was she blind.

The savior knew for a fact that it was Artz that sought out the pawnbroker, Mr. Gold. The man had said so himself. Ingrid had been watching over her from the start. The Queen of Emo, despite not understanding the why of it all, insisting that the ginger learn...well everything. Gold gave her an extensive amount of knowledge to draw from, turning her into a living, breathing encyclopedia of all things crazy. Ingrid had taken up the mantle of motherhood, providing Artz with a sanctuary, but also educating her in the theoretical and most likely the finer points of magic and how it connected to the world.

Ginny took the more practical approach and focused on the physical training, survival exercises, even dragging the Huntsman into it and having him teach her everything he knew. Plus the not so evil queen had been teaching Artz about the differences in light and dark magic, really focusing on creating _a neutral force more powerful than its parts_ thing. Let's not forget about all the horror stories that accompanied her favorite redhead during her time learning countless forms of science including medicine, physics, quantum mechanics and the nightmare that was mathematics on fucking steriods.

Artz taught herself how to run with the least amount of energy spent then taught herself how to parkour, including several hospital visits as a result, and just about every weapon both _archaic_ and _modern_ and the means in which they were produced. Oh Artz really got into the whole mechanical engineering thing when she discovered her love for tinkering, a practical offshoot of her Jiggery Pokery skills, and the subsequent development and refinement of her probability mapping. Yes, she still had issues with the simpler stuff because no one was perfect and she had the scars to prove just how many times she had messed up in the past. She had twenty eight years, frozen at the prime physical age, to basically become the ultimate badass. Oh yeah, time to go all in.

"Tell her." Emma stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? Tell her she's going to die and have her soul shatter to pieces if she doesn't do something clever to save herself, hell save us all! That's your plan!" Kora exclaimed rising to her feet.

The blonde woman rose as well, a smirk planted firmly on her face.

"By your own admission, killing the people in the encampment should have destroyed her..._but it didn't_. Do you want to know why because she practically dive bombed Killian Jones straight out the gate. Hell she dragged them out into the middle of orge infested woods and had sex for almost five hours. Killian's eyes changes colors when he feels an intense emotion and if Artz saw it even one time..._plot be damned_.

Because she sought him out, she was able to get what she needed to save those people. _Belief_, specifically _him choosing her over everything else_ and her magic expressed it the only way it could because she had walked up to every person in that camp, learned their stories, their names… _their hearts_. His vow to stay with her, that belief...it gave her the power to do the impossible and saved them!

Then she took it one step further and saved my sorry ass from my lava magic. Not to mention that in the process of saving me, she shoved a shit ton of her magic into Killian, reawakening his powers as _a Child of the Sea_. Then Hook gets pumped full of my magic and was actually able to breach the surface completely.

Don't you see, don't you get it?! She has spent the last twenty nine years learning, training, doing everything she could to prepare for the future after the curse was broken. Gold, Ingrid, Graham, Ginny, and even her own godson, my son, Henry have been doing everything in their power to prepare her. Yes, she is still struggling but that's only because of that fucked up opposites spell which broke on me shortly after their little jaunt in the woods.

I was finally able to tell her how I truly felt and that's what needs to be done. Right now she is drowning in uncertainty, trying to make sense of it all on her own and that is what's hurting her, Kora. Take a leap of faith and tell her the truth. You believed in her once, believe in her again. Believe, Kora, because I do. That's why the opposites spell could never fully affect me and Henry, because we believed. Even though we couldn't say it, it doesn't change the fact that we believe, that we have always believed. One last time to get it right, one last time to be with her, to believe in her...one final time _to love her_." Emma spoke passionately and from the heart.

The Queen of Hearts stared at her and the blonde felt pretty damn proud of herself because this time..._she blind sided someone_ with the wisdom of the ages. The older woman's eyes began to fill with tears as the appearance of the Queen of Hearts shifted to that of a young woman with a remarkable resemblance to Paige Matthews from Charmed.

"I wanna be with her, to be by her side again, not as the Queen of Hearts, Kora, but as her Enchantress, her Paige." The woman replied softly as the tears fell once more.

"Paige?" A voice spoke drawing the women's attention.


	64. Chapter 64: Dark Swan

**Chapter 64: Dark Swan**

There was Artz Lanaria, crimson once more, standing a few yards away. Killian was behind her, leaning against a tree, his ocean blue eyes bloody exhausted. The one now known as Paige just stood there, utterly petrified and having no clue what to do or what to say...so she just nodded. She was not; however, expecting Artz's next outburst.

"You...little...DALEK!" Artz screeched, "Unbelievable! Our lives get fucked over countless times and all because the idiots that loved me actually _forgot_ how to fucking believe! How the hell am I supposed to do _anything_ if these asshats don't trust me in the first damn place?!"

"Well they can't all be me, love, so go on and glomp the _not so heartless_ Queen of Hearts because she looks like she is about to fall to pieces and I'm too tired to carry anyone." Killian piped up cheekily.

"Whose idea was it for us to have sex _while hanging off the side of a beanstalk_?" She countered giving him a rather defiant look.

"I told you before, love, that I don't remember that happening. When I came to, we were already at the top of the bloody beanstalk." He whined like a child.

Watching the banter between Artz and Killian, Paige started crying again, a smile creeping onto her face. It had been so long..._too long_...enough. She couldn't do this anymore. She raced forward while the redhead was still distracted and threw her arms around the ginger who let out a squawk of surprise before wrapping her arms around the sobbing woman.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Paige apologized like a needle stuck on a record.

"Look, I am not remotely happy about your behavior, Paige Matthews. By all rights, I should be kicking your ass all over this damn forest for what you did to my Captain, my God of the Sea...not to mention killing the first people that had ever shown me kindness upon meeting me." The ginger started making the young witch cling to her that much tighter, "But since nobody's actually, ya know, _dead_… I have two things to say to you. The first is obvious. _I forgive you_."

She waited a few moments for the sobbing brunette to get control of herself and pulled back to look into her eyes. Artz smiled, her sapphire blue eyes shining with a light from within and filled to the brim with kindness and a touch of humor.

"And number two..._what's an attempted murder amongst friends, eh_?" The ginger stated, like the smartass she was.

And that did it, the young enchantress sagged to the ground and just started full on bawling. Killian sighed in annoyance but he was too much like his bloody star to just let someone suffer alone under the weight of their true emotions, so he pushed off the tree and unceremoniously plopped himself on the ground. He then yanked the distressed brunette into his arms and just let her cry.

Both the blonde and the ginger smiled softly at the sight, making the notorious pirate blush in embarrassment and look away. They then turned their attention to each other, both walking away several yards so as to not interrupt. Seriously and they said they were emotionally repressed.

"Feel free to slap me, Swan Lake." Artz stated rather bluntly.

"I'll take a raincheck." She replied before pulling the woman into a bone crushing hug, "I would say I'm sorry...but that's not what you want to hear so I'll just say this, I'll find her...I'll find Yuna, I swear."

"Idiot. Yuna will turn up whenever she damn well pleases. Why because time is not the boss of her, but that's why you're here. She knew that I would need some help and that's you. Don't say anything because my head is already aching from feeling his emotions, your emotions and now her emotions. It's like I've turned myself into a bloody empath.

It was weird though. So many strange things are happening and I understand things a little better, but my gut is telling me that we're still in danger and I don't know why." The redhead responded slowly pulling back.

"When did this feeling start?" Emma asked more than happy to be her sounding board for a change.

"Not long after I suddenly appeared in Storybrooke, a constantly nagging feeling. Then you broke the curse and that feeling intensified. It wasn't until she pointed it out to me that I even began to think about it." The ginger answered looking worried.

"You're talking about Dark Swan. Listen...about her…" The blonde started not entirely sure how to tell her doctor.

"Dark Swan, seriously? I was just calling her the Crocodile...though you might _not_ want to tell Killian about that. We've got enough to worry about without him going bonkers. He nearly wrecked half of giant's ville up there when he heard me scream. I had fallen off the table and Andre caught me. That's one hell of a way to learn that he is _most definitely_ Poseidon. Why is my life so complicated?" Artz commented leaning against the tree, looking really worn out.

"We should get back to camp so you can rest up and plan our next move." Emma suggested.

"Hell no. I am not going anywhere near that bitchy ass princess that skewered me with a fucking arrow, actually tried to kill Killian, and then pretended to act all concerned when you clearly had switched sides." The red head replied still very pissed off.

"She broke through the spell like I did." The blonde responded trying to placate her sister.

"No, no she didn't. Why...because she's not under the spell. She never has been. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she casted the damn thing." The ginger snapped lightly.

"There's only way to find out, Dark Swan." The savior stated having worked out her sister's sudden mood swing.

"You want to give her the benefit of the doubt but leave just enough rope to hang herself with...proverbially speaking of course." Dark Swan replied with a dark look promising immense pain for a certain princess.

Artz's face softened as she sucked in a breath.

"Sorry about that. She and I are trying to share the stage. Ya know, let me get used to not being in control of my own body and maybe...I don't know, break the balance, I guess, but I do know that we need to get back to Storybrooke because the Crocodile can break the opposites spell! I'll finally be able to hug my godson and glomp Ginny and I'll be able to walk down the damn street without people wanting to kill me and the kids won't run away from me while screaming their heads off and...and…" Artz trailed off tears in her eyes, "I'll finally be able to do so much, without having to be afraid all the time. They'll see me...I can finally make Storybrooke my home, so i don't care if she is the bloody Dark One because she can set me free."

Emma pulled her into another hug, a few tears of her own slipping silently down her cheeks. She hadn't known just how badly it truly was and before now, she didn't even care to ask at all, but hearing her sister's voice being so full of pain and a soul crushing loneliness..._it hurt more than she ever imagined_. It didn't help that she had been a part of it, maybe she really was a monster after all.

She was taken off guard when Artz suddenly pulled away and slapped her face hard, twice even! Emma looked at her, wondering what the hell had caused such a violent reaction.

"She feels, I hear. You keep calling yourself a monster, Swan Song, and I'll keep inflicting bodily harm until you get your head out of your ass, understand?" Dark Swan promised, a rather demented smirk on her face.

The blonde nodded and the ginger's face smoothed out and for a moment, she thought that she was going to be slapped again, sapphire orbs blazing with anger, but the redhead refrained. Emma popped her jaw a few times, stretching it a bit to make some of the pain go away.

"I wish you would stop calling yourself a monster, Emma. Out of everyone in Storybrooke, three people fought the hardest for me; Henry, Ginny, and you, Swan Lake. Henry is very clever and we worked out a way to communicate without ever speaking a word. Ginny, she may be more volatile than a super volcano, but she worked damn hard to protect me, to give me everything I needed to make a better future.

But the one who fought the hardest..._that was you_, my beloved Swan Lake. Every time you sought me out, I was so happy, but then I started seeing how frustrated you were becoming because you knew something was wrong. You didn't understand why you were acting so contradictory to your true self and it broke my heart because there was nothing I could do to fix that so I did the only thing I could do.

_Look at me! I'm a target!_

I made you focus on me so that you wouldn't take it out on others by accident. Yeah, I'll admit that a lot of the stuff you said hurt like hell, but I also knew that it wasn't you. My Swan Lake loves me, she has always loved me, and when she finally said it...I had waited so long to hear you say that, to finally have proof that I was right to believe, to have faith in you.

The reason why I never abandoned you was because _you_ loved _me_ and I bloody knew it. Its why I acted like a sarcastic little shit because it made you genuinely happy. I knew how hard you were fighting and I'll admit that shortly after the encampment was attacked and everybody died and I had just run away like a fucking coward..._I thought for sure that I was gonna lose you_, but then he came. Well he didn't fully form and only took the general shape of a man, but his voice...there was no way that I wouldn't recognize him.

The Fourth Captain of the Blood Guard, the one bound to the Star Child...he came to help me and because of him, I was able to let Killian know that I was alive. How...by playing the flute he left in my possession before he had to go and meet Kora. The song I played..._the Inner Light_… and just like I told you in Storybrooke, I wanted to be the Star that always guided him back to me and I did.

Emma, you have nothing to feel guilty about or to blame yourself for because it was you that kept my hope alive. Light...Hope...Miracle. I am light, you are hope, and the idiot eavesdropping with an out cold enchantress on his back is most definitely miracle. Isn't that right, Killian?" Artz explained before calling out to the numpty.

The blue eyed pirate stepped around the tree they had been behind and sure enough, he was carrying an out cold Paige on his back.

"Well it's not like I could just leave her on the ground, now could I?" He quipped a little disgruntled about being caught.

"Don't you hate her? She did kill everyone in the encampment...right in front of you." The blonde pointed out, her voice quiet because her vocal chords were killing her from crying so much.

Killian Jones glanced briefly at the unconscious woman on his back. It was hard to believe that the woman that had so brutally murdered all those people, even killing little Maria, was the same woman that had spent the last twenty minutes sobbing in his arms and apologizing so many times for hurting him.

He looked over at his beloved celestial goddess, her expression soft but her eyes knowing. The truth was...he was no longer Killian Jones..._he was Poseidon, her God of the Sea_ and he honestly couldn't bring himself to hate her, not now...not after what happened. Kora..._Paige_ was just like them, like him and Emma...wanting nothing more than to be by Artz's side, to once again be her friend, a part of her family...to love her openly and freely once more. He looked over at the Savior, his eyes pretty much saying it all.

"I should but I don't. I have every right to, but at this point, I just want to go back to the Jolly Roger and sleep for a week. The last forty eight hours has completely altered my perception..._of everything_ and I honestly don't know what to think anymore or what to do beyond Nubbins with my Star…" He started sounding completely spent both emotionally and physically.

"Well for starters, you kind of need to make my sister fall in love with you, get married, maybe have a few hellspawn, I mean kids...ish….oh and help me find this one's truest believer." Emma teased before cocking her head in Artz's direction.

To her credit, the ginger managed to keep silent, but her face was almost as red as her hair from embarrassment.

"I told you before, Swan Lake. Yuna will turn up whenever she pleases. Have a little patience, dearie." Artz sassed in a vain attempt to stop blushing.

Killian just shook his head and started walking off, the girls falling in behind him and chattering away, none of them realizing that they were being watched by a cloaked figure on a ridge nearby. This mysterious figure had been the very same person that had masqueraded as Rem while taking Artz to the beanstalk and the very same person that had to be held back from ripping Snow White to pieces back in the encampment.

This mysterious individual contained the other half of Paige's heart and it was the only thing keeping that person alive after Yuna and Hook had been destroyed; a third element required for success though no one was aware of that fact. Eyes of shattered silver watched them leave, heading not towards the encampment but to the Jolly Roger...a very wise decision because Artz and her Crocodile were right to steer clear of the one known as Snow White because unlike all the other versions of this particular tale, _there was no darkness threatening to destroy them all_.

The effect of that future had been dealt with and an entirely new story was about to unfold, but only if Artz breaks the current balance because if not, _there are fates worse than death, one for each and every person in this reality_. They could only hope that she figured it out in time and time was such a fickle thing and fate was not kind _but she was._


	65. Chapter 65: Blinded Sight

**Chapter 65: Blinded Sight**

David Nolan aka Prince Charming, the husband of Snow White, was having a complete mental meltdown. His brain was literally going haywire and doing the backstroke at the same time. Why because _the not so evil queen_ was sobbing on the floor and staring at the spot where the portal to an endless void had once been. He didn't understand what was going on and he sure as hell didn't understand why his enemy was just shy of screaming _in despair_.

"Mom." Henry spoke softly, gaining the Queen's attention.

"I killed her. _I loved her and I killed her_!" Gin revealed crying even harder than before.

"You did it. You broke through the spell! I knew it! There really is an opposites curse!" The child exclaimed before gaining control of himself, "_But_ _you didn't kill her_. Aunt Artz would _never_ jump into a portal if she didn't know _exactly_ where it would lead."

The distraught woman looked up at the boy, so much anguish on her face and guilt in her eyes.

"It doesn't change anything. _She's gone_ and I wouldn't blame her if she never came back. Who would want to come back to someone that treated them like filth, that hurt them and tore them down every day for almost thirty years..._I'm a monster_." She replied looking so _broken_.

"Oh now you realize that? You couldn't have maybe figured that out _before_ you casted the Dark Curse, _Your_ _Majesty_?" David snapped hotly, anger pulsing through his veins.

"But I didn't! It wasn't me! _I never casted the Dark Curse_!" The Queen yelled denying her crime.

This statement invoked a white hot fury in the normally calm and collected prince. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at the crying woman, who made no move to defend herself. The pleas from his grandson fell on deaf ears, his rage fueling his actions as he pulled the trigger.

He blinked rapidly, the anger that had once filled him up completely was gone. He looked down at the gun in his left hand, wondering when he had even pulled it out to begin with. He was pulled back to reality when he heard Henry crying..._wailing_. There was his grandson on the floor, clinging to his foster mother..._his dead foster mother_. Her chest was soaked in blood like she had been stabbed or..._shot_.

The shell shocked prince dropped the weapon and backed up a few steps until he hit the wall. His eyes were wide and his breathing was coming in short gasps. He didn't understand..._what the hell just happened_? Why was she dead? Why did he shoot her? That didn't make sense...he was supposed to be the hero yet he had apparently just committed _cold blooded murder_. What was happening to him, what was causing it, why did his insides feel like something was trying to claw out of him?

He blinked again and he was suddenly holding his grandson in the air and _was choking the life out of him_. He dropped the boy, who fell to the floor gasping for breath. He looked down at the child he had tried to murder.

"Henry...I'm Sorry. I don't...something inside..._run, run away_. Go! Before I kill you too!" David pleaded tears rolling down his face.

His world went dark and he was suddenly in a room with countless mirrors in all shapes and sizes, various scenes were playing within them. It was hard to figure out what was going on. It was like he was seeing live action fan fiction, _the same story but different each time_. He looked into another mirror and he saw himself stab another man in the back, his daughter in shock and devastation as she watched his victim fall to the ground dead.

His gaze shifted to another mirror and he saw a place that was familiar to him. He had slain the creature that had been inhabiting the lake that had once been there. The Queen of Hearts had her hand plunged into Artz's back but did not appear to be harming her any way. He smiled in relief realizing that his daughter's best friend had protected his wife, but then he gasped in horror as Snow White stabbed the redhead through the chest, her eyes shining with a victorious glee.

The scene flickered to a different mirror so he followed it, the reflection showing his wife dragging their daughter towards what appeared to be a portal of some kind. The blonde haired savior was screaming to be released, trying to break free from her mother's grasp...only to fall into the portal as her best friend fell to the ground and left to bleed out in the arms of the Queen of Hearts.

The room began to darken and in every mirror was the silhouette of a cloaked figure. He knew in an instant that whoever the cloaked figure was, they were the one that killed Mayor Mills and almost killed his grandson. Pain lanced through his entire being, tears flowing down his cheeks. He fell to his knees as the figure drew closer, the room becoming almost pitch black.

He gasped for breath as blue sparkles of light fell from above him, soothing away the pain. The figure let out an inhuman screech as it retreated, disappearing entirely. The sparkles vanished as quickly as they had appeared, enshrouding the room in darkness once more.

A golden light flooded the room and he was blinded with the intensity of it. He heard Gold's voice calling out to him, telling him that he needed to come back, but he was afraid. If he left this place, he would kill Henry like he had killed the Evil Queen. Flames erupted from the light and formed into the shape of a woman before solidifying to reveal..._the very woman he had murdered in front of her own son_.

"Get your head out of your ass, Charming." She ordered giving him a stern look.

"I can't...I killed you...I almost killed Henry...I can't go back...I won't!" He yelled moving away from her but she grabbed his wrist.

"If you hadn't killed me then I wouldn't have been able to save Artz and as for Henry, he's fine and he wants his grandfather to come back to him." She replied, keeping a firm grip around his wrist.

"What's wrong with me?" He asked his voice quiet and subdued.

"Nothing. _Something_ had been poisoning you or trying to possess you, but you managed to contain it long enough for me and Goldeneye to purge it, but you've gone too deep and your heart is slowing down. If you don't come with me right now, _your heart will stop_. Now stop asking questions and get the hell out of here. Then ask questions." She answered in a rush, the golden light beginning to fade.

His mind brought up the image of his little girl as she fell into the portal after her mother had stabbed her best friend. _He needed to go back._ His daughter needed him and he sure as hell was going to figure out what the fuck was happening to his wife because the woman he fell in love with would _never_ murder someone that had just saved her life and she definitely wouldn't hurt Emma like that.

He stopped resisting the not so evil queen and let her guide him into the golden light. His eyes opened only to shut them quickly, the light overwhelming his eyes.

"I suggest you move as little as possible, David. Your body is still recovering from such a long winded fight. Nice to know that some things never change. Always the hero." Gold said softly, his tone teasing at the end.

"How…" He stopped his throat feeling incredibly raw for some reason.

He shifted slightly and his entire being erupted in pain. Several pairs of hands touched him and were apparently trying to hold him in place..._he was thrashing about_. His body was literally spasming from acute pain but it eventually subsided though the pain didn't fully go away. _What the hell happened to him_? _How did he get like this_?

"He's awake barely five minutes and he's already back to being a stubborn idiot. Definitely Charming alright." The Queen's voice reached his ears.

He tried to say her name, wanting to verify that he wasn't dreaming..._that she really was alive, _but he was interrupted by his grandson.

"Mom...he's gonna be okay, right? It won't come back, will it?" The boy questioned, sounding so very worried but also making him wonder what the _it_ was.

"He'll be fine, sweetie...as long as he stops being an idiot until he's fully recovered. As for the other...what's the verdict, Goldeneye?" She answered.

"Under normal circumstances, I would say that it would return; however, it would seem that our favorite redhead has unknowingly intervened. Do you recall the stardust that fell two days ago?" Gold answered...so he was _Goldeneye_...made sense but what was this about _stardust_?

"That was Her Ladyship. Her stardust only falls when she's trying to save someone, but this wasn't localized. _It covered the entire town_." Graham spoke up...when did he get here...where was here...probably Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment.

"Precisely. That means that she was driven by pure emotion, specifically _pure belief_." The prince heard both the Queen and Huntsman breathe in sharply...guess that meant something but what, "When was the last time that has ever occurred?"

"It hasn't. Not since the first…" The mayor started but sounded like she was cut off by her own emotions.

"She must have found Yuna." The Huntsman commented.

"I don't think so." Henry finally spoke up, "I think it was her Captain or at the very least, Poseidon."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Gold asked his tone holding a slight knowing tone, barely there but was definitely present.

Charming heard what sounded like the boy's backpack and several things being pulled out before he heard small footsteps moving toward what he assumed to be the pawnbroker's current location.

"Hmph..._clever girl_." The man spoke softly, pride and love in his tone, "The boy's right. She worked it out..._without even realizing she had_. She jumped into the portal just so that she could get to him, knowing where and when he would be. It would seem that my daughter has taken the _plot be damned_ approach once more."

"It's changing. Things are happening differently this time. Hell we've all been acting differently this time. _Something has changed_...but what?" The boy's foster mother replied trying to understand what was going on.

The prince was confused as all get out but he did know that something had changed..._his wife_.

"Snow." He choked out, stiffening to limit the rather painful recoil.

"He's right. Snow has always been kind and welcoming to Artz...except this time. Both as Mary Margaret and as Snow, she couldn't stand her presence at all." The Huntsman chimed in, understanding what he had been trying to convey.

"But isn't that the opposites spell again?" Henry asked, pointing out an obvious flaw.

"There's only way to find out. Fenrir…" Gold started.

"I'll stay with David while you three head to the well. They should be here soon anyways." Graham interjected...so his nickname was _Fenrir_?

"Emma…" David started riding out the pain and ignoring them trying to shush him, "Stop Emma."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Oh shit." Gin breathed as he lost the battle to stay conscious.


	66. Chapter 66: Fallen Snow

**Chapter 66: Fallen Snow**

Mary Margaret Blanchard was a school teacher in Storybrooke, Maine, but _once upon a time_, she had been the Crown Princess of the Enchanted Forest, _Snow White_. She and her true love, Charming had successfully reclaimed the kingdom from the Evil Queen, but she was unable to have a proper coronation to officially become queen because of both her pregnancy and the looming threat from her adversary..._a place where there were no happy endings_.

Snow refused to surrender and desperately sought a way to prevent the Dark Curse from being casted, even going so far as to consult the imprisoned Dark One. He informed her that the curse was going to be casted. There was no escaping that eventuality, but he did tell her that her child, her beloved Emma, would be the one to break the Dark Curse, to save them all and return everyone's happy endings.

At the moment, she was far from happy. Why because her daughter, _her precious little girl_, was using her magic to slam her into every tree, every rock and most certainly the ground and _she didn't understand why_. The last thing she remembered was the purple fog speeding towards them and holding on to her true love for dear life, praying that he wouldn't be taken from her again. _So why...why was her daughter doing this? Why?_

She cried out as she was suddenly pulled forward and a hand was shoved into her chest, taking a hold of her heart and squeezing it. She whimpered in agony, tears streaming down het face as she realized that it was her own child that was about to rip out her heart, but something wasn't right. Emma was crying, crying silently, a pain so profound swirling in her eyes alongside her fury and _hatred_. _Her daughter hated her...oh god, what has she done?_

Imagine her surprise when the mayor shows up with Gold and Henry..._and comes to her defense...what_?

"Emma! Let her go! Trust me, you don't want to do this!" The dark haired woman snapped coming to a stop beside the savior.

"I can't...not after what she's done." The blonde replied her voice steeped in grief and pain.

The Evil Queen placed her left hand on the arm currently connected to the princess and used her right hand cup Emma's cheek, a gentle expression on her face and a kindness in her eyes that she had never seen before.

"Talk to me, Swan Lake. Tell me what happened. What could she possibly have done to make you do this? You don't want to kill her, you want her to suffer. That's why you haven't pulled out her heart. Why you turned her into a living pinball machine." The mayor spoke softly, a small smile on her lips and her complete attention focused on the distraught blonde.

Then her daughter spoke and her world went nuts because she would _never_ commit such an act. It wasn't in her to do so in the first place!

"She killed my best friend, my Lady Doctor. She stabbed her in the chest..._on purpose_. I didn't want to believe it...that's why I agreed to go along with that stupid idea. I needed to know for sure if what my sister sensed was true and _it killed her_. _She killed her...she killed Artz!_" Emma revealed shocking both royals, "Right in front of her Captain, Her God of the Sea...even worse, she died in the arms of Her Enchantress, her beloved Paige. _She's a monster!"_

The blonde haired woman squeezed her mother's heart, said mother was crying out in pain, but she made no move to defend herself because a few feet away was a dagger covered in blood and dirt. _Was it true? Did she really murder her daughter's best friend in cold blood? That she intentionally stabbed her, that she genuinely wanted her to die_?

"Emma, stop...please." Regina requested her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why...why are you defending her? You love Artz and this _bitch_ killed her. So tell me why?" The savior demanded seething in rage.

"Look at her, Emma. Really look because she is as shocked as I am." The queen answered.

Her daughter squeezed her eyes shut a moment to remove the fog created by her tears then reopened them to look at the woman that gave birth to her. Confusion flashed across her face as the maelstrom of emotion settled in her eyes.

"What's the last thing you remember and if you lie to me, I'll rip your damn heart out and feed it to Graham's wolf?" Emma asked suddenly, her body giving off an aura of lethal intent.

"The fog...the purple fog flooding the town...I was holding...onto your father...scared...of losing him again." Snow choked out, a steady stream of tears flowing down her cheeks from the pain in body and heart.

There was a pregnant pause as the savior studied her mother's face for any deceit, any trace of a lie or deception, but found nothing at all. Snow White was telling the truth.

"But nothing _after_ that?" The blonde questioned the beginnings of guilt and remorse already leaking into her tone.

"Nothing...at all. The fog came and all was dark. I...I couldn't feel...Charming anymore...and when I opened my eyes..._my daughter, my little girl..._I'm sorry. I don't remember killing her. I'm sorry...I'm sorry…" The weeping princess apologized truly sorry for hurting her daughter, for killing someone..._an innocent person_.

Emma pulled her hand out, but left her mother's heart inside her chest, said mother crumpling to the ground like a rag doll. The mayor brought the crying blonde fully into her arms, giving her as much support as she could. There was a pulse in the air, the area around getting warmer. Silver dust rained from the leaves of the trees, flowing together to create a ball of light. There was a flash of light and in its place was a young woman dressed as an acolyte.

"Lily?" Emma spoke shocked by her sudden appearance.

Instead of answering the blonde, Lily knelt next to the fallen princess and held out her hands. A white light appeared and Snow's injuries began to heal. When her work was complete, the wheat haired woman stood up though she was pale as a sheet. She opened her mouth to speak before something drew her attention to the space behind her. She threw up her hands like she was trying to defend herself before she burst into silver sparkles, the savior calling out her name in alarm.

The pawnbroker suggested that the mayor take Emma and Henry back to her manor while he stayed to attend to the out cold princess and ascertain what had transpired before them mere moments ago. The blonde tried to argue, saying that she needed to help Lily, but her son wrapped his arms around her waist, begging her to come home with him and the not so evil queen.

The emotionally overloaded savior glanced at the dark haired woman that she had once viewed as an enemy. There was so much that she didn't understand...like why the mayor's eyes were so calm and gentle, understanding and compassionate. She was nothing like the bitch she had met when she first arrived in this town. Hell she wasn't even like the woman she knew before getting sucked into the Enchanted Forest. The queen held the Emma's gaze and she realized why Regina was acting so differently..._the opposites spell_. She broken free of the opposites spell like she had. She stumbled over to the woman who wrapped her arms around her immediately in a tight embrace. The trio disappeared in a magical cloud and he turned his attention to Snow White.

"I know you're not unconscious, Your Highness, so do us both a favor and drop the ruse." Rumple stated, leaning on his cane.

The dark haired princess got to her feet but didn't look at him. She chose to stand in front of the blood soaked dagger on the ground, her lips trembling as she fought off the need to cry.

"Is it true? Did I really stab her with the intent to kill? Did I murder my daughter's best friend right in front of her?" Snow questioned her voice choking with emotion.

"The answer to that question is on your hands, Princess." He answered, making her look at her hands.

Her left hand was covered in blood but her right hand was not stained at all. That couldn't be right because she was _right handed_. Whether it be for writing or wielding a sword, she always did it with her right hand, so why was her left practically drowned in blood?

"I'm right handed." She stated quietly, her confusion etched on her face.

"So is Charming yet for some inexplicable reason he used his left hand to kill Gin and he attempted to kill Henry as well. Fortunately he is an incredibly stubborn man and Her Majesty, shall we say, is highly resourceful." The pawnbroker informed.

"What the hell is going on, Rumple?" Snow whispered her eyes still staring at her hand and at the dagger.

"That...is a very good question. One in which I do not know the answer to, but I will find out and when I do I will make certain that whoever did this, can never do it to another living soul. There's enough grief and agony in this town already. _I'm getting too old for this shit_." He replied his tone revealing how tired he was but still held the sharpness of determination.


End file.
